IT could have been his last race but coming tantalizingly close to a coveted overall title only galvanized battle-toughened Jan Paul Morales of Standard Insurance Philippines’ desire to return next year.
Morales said he was pondering calling it a career after the recently concluded MPTC Tour of Luzon, but reconsidered.
“Sabi ko nga, kapag mag-champion ako, magre-retire na ako,” Morales, the crowd favorite, said. “Hindi pa ako nag-champion. So, may isa pa.”
Morales, 39, wound up second to Gapyeong Cycling Team skipper Dae Yeong Joo, just six seconds behind the South Korean who ruled the eight-stage,1,074.90-km race that was capped by the killer final lap that began in Lingayen, Pangasinan and ended at the cool Camp John Hay in Baguio City in a battle that went down as one of the closest in the history of the Tour.
Joo, 28, clocked an accumulative 22 hours, 21 minutes, and eight seconds.
The Calumpang, Marikina City, pride who reigned twice in the Ronda Pilipinas, said: “Tingnan natin kung kaya pa ng katawan ko kasi may mga nararamdaman na rin ako.”
Morales took home P500,00.
MPT Drivehub’s Jonel Carcueva ended third in the overall general classification while Victoria Sports’ Nichol Pareja finished fourth and Morales’ teammate Jeremy Lizardo fifth.
Excellent Noodles Cycling Team’s Joshua Pascual came out of nowhere and delivered the goods in the queen stage and bagged the “Eagle of the Mountain” crown.
MVP Group of Companies chairman and top sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan hailed the resounding comeback of the summer cycling spectacle, convinced it’s due for a bigger and better encore, with the hopes of sending a Filipino rider in the prestigious Tour de France in the future.
“Many congratulations to all Tour of Luzon riders—especially Jan Paul Morales, Joshua Pascual, Joseph Javiniar, and of course, the champion, Dae Yeong Joo,” Pangilinan, the chief backer of the “Great Revival,” said. “Kudos to MPTC for a thrilling, awesome event.
“More success in 2026. Here’s to a future Tour de France rider.”
With nothing left to prove, it’s just a fitting ending that Morales wants.
