PAOAY, Ilocos Norte. — As the teams eagerly checked in and out of the Café Bloom for the riders’ confirmation, reserve cyclist Adrianne Forte of the Philippine Under-23 squad meekly stood under an acacia tree amid the humid weather on Wednesday here.
Carrying the colors of Tom ‘N Toms Coffee, the young nationals are the clear underdogs in the Tour of Luzon, but flying—err, pedaling—under the radar should be just fine.
“Since mga bata ang hawak ko, almost lahat iyan, isa lang ang hindi ko hawak sa Under- 23, six out of seven, so ang experience level niyan medyo mababa,” Tom ‘N Toms Coffee sports director Virgilio Espiritu said. “So, ang expectations namin mag-perform lang ng maganda every stage.
“Pero doon sa general classification medyo hindi naman ganoon ang pressure sa amin since mga bata nga iyan. Ang pinaka-target namin is iyong Under-23 jersey. Iyon ang pinaka-focus ng team ngayon,” he added.
Dubbed “The Great Revival,” the eight-stage, 1,074.90-kilometer cycling spectacle making its big return formally kicked off with the opening ceremonies Wednesday at the picturesque and heritage-rich Paoay Church.
The 17 teams and 119 riders roll off the road Thursday with the 190.70-km Paoay to Paoay Stage 1.
With the full support of Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also the chief of the sanctioning PhilCycling, the Tour of Luzon is presented by the MVP Group’s Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) helmed by its Chief Regulating Officer Arrey Perez and organized by DuckWorld PH.
Espiritu admitted the Tour will pose a different challenge to the U-23 bets who will be ranged against the bigwigs—Ronald Oranza, George Oconer, Jan Paul Morales, Marcelo Felipe, and Junrey Navarra.
“Iyong mga bata na iyan, product lahat ng national championships, either in 2025 or iyong previous national championships,” Espiritu, the younger brother of 1996 Marlboro Tour champion Victor, said.
“Kaya sila binuo kasi mga product sila ng national championships pero siyempre iyong napanalunan nila, Under-23 category.
“Iba na kasi kapag nahaluan na ng elite group, iba na iyong playing field, mas mataas na. Kumbaga sa boxing mas mataas na iyong weight class.”
Among his wards, Steven Tablizo, 22, looms to have the biggest shot at glory.
“Sa pito kasi siya lang iyong consistent na nag-medal sa national championships last year, siya iyong national U-23 criterium champion and then this year naka-dalawang bronze siya courtesy naman ng same favorite niyang event, iyong criterium and then iyong road race,” he said. “So, siya iyong pinaka-experienced tapos nakadalawang Asian championships na so out of those seven riders siya iyong may pinaka-mabigat na experience.”
Espiritu’s bemedalled cyclist brother had long called it a career but with the Tour’s historic renaissance and with the younger Espiritu toughening up the U-23 side, this summer might just witness the birth of new heroes.
