Can Joo complete the job?
LABRADOR, Pangasinan. — Yellow jersey holder Dae Yeong Joo of the Gapyeong Cycling Team breezed past the end zone like the much-needed air against the frying heat of the sun, cool and composed.
The South Korean national team champion did not get the thundering cheers from the sparse crowd in this small coastal town, except for his convoy’s sirens, in stark contrast to the rock star treatment he received in the opening leg that he ruled one week ago in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
But little to no fanfare should be more than just fine for the unassuming but formidable Joo, especially now that the summer cycling spectacle is just one leg away from finishing.
Joo wound up second on Wednesday but this was good enough for him to keep the overall lead even as Excellent Noodles Cycling Team’s Joseph Javiniar sparkled anew in the Stage 7 individual time trial of the MPTC Tour of Luzon that flagged off in Lingayen and ended in front of a drugstore at the Municipal Hall here.
Javiniar, who captured the Clark to Clark fifth leg last Monday, won with a time of 17:25 in the 15.2-km penultimate lap while Joo clocked 38 seconds slower.
Mervin Corpuz of MPT Drivehub checked in 52 seconds for third place honors in the race presented by DuckWorld PH and Cignal.
“Sobrang saya po, nakakuha po ulit ng panalo sa leg, sa individual time trial po. Sobrang saya po,” Javiniar, a Pagsanjan, Laguna native, said. “Iyong gising ko kanina medyo mabigat. Nakuha lang po kanina sa warm-up, nabawi sa warm-up.
“Plano ko po talaga mag-all out. Malayo po kasi ako sa GC. Pag-uusapan po namin mamaya iyong game plan po namin.
“Wala pa po sa isip ko iyan (top 10 finish). Ayusin po muna namin iyong game plan po,” he added.
Joo, 28, wore the coveted yellow jersey for the seventh straight day going into the queen stage on Thursday—a 177.54-km a make-or-break uphill trek from here to Baguio City via the dreaded Kennon Road.
After the seventh journey, Joo padded his lead to 2:10 from 1:56 going into Wednesday’s route, with a total time of 17:59:37.
Corpuz stayed in second overall while Nichol Pareja of Victoria Sports Cycling Team leapfrogged to third after finishing fourth in the ITT, 3:05 behind Joo, and Standard Insurance Philippines’ Jan Paul Morales moved to fourth, 3:09 back.
They bumped off Jeremy Lizardo of Standard Insurance Philippines (3:14 behind) and Jonel Carcueva (3:36) of MPT Drivehub, who fell to fifth and sixth, respectively.
Jerico Lucero (4:03) of the Go For Gold Cycling Team improved to seventh, as well as Excellent Noodles’ Mar Francis Sudario at eighth (4:21) in the “The Great Revival” supported by Pilipinas Live, Meralco, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Health, Megaworld, Landco, PLDT and Smart.
“I just need to keep going, because there are only two of us in the team,” Joo said, referring to teammate Jun Hyeok Jang. “I am ready to protect the yellow jersey. I just saved my energy, so I’ll be prepared for it (last leg).”
Said Corpuz: “Maganda naman ang performance ko dito sa time trial. Focus na ako sa mga ahon ng Baguio.”
The eight-stage, 1,074.90-km bike tilt is sanctioned by PhilCycling and endorsed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board, BCDA and MVP Sports Foundation with a whooping P1 million prize each for the overall individual champion and team winner.
Joo plunged half of his body into a box full of ice inside a tent after the lap, setting the stage for one final push for cycling glory in foreign territory.
