Photo: MPTC Tour of Luzon
By Joel Reyes
The 2026 MPTC Tour of Luzon is off and running, with Yousef Ibrahiem Alrefai winning the opening stage on Wednesday. The LCW UAE Cycle rider finished the 150.1-km race from Calatagan, Batangas to Tagaytay with a time of three hours, 36 minutes, and 35 seconds to grab the coveted yellow jersey.
Alrefai’s teammate, Nikita Shulchenko, came in second to complete an impressive 1-2 finish for LCW UAE Cycle. Douglas Tyler Hannay of Excellent Noodles Cycling Team claimed third place.
Thursday’s Stage 2 will be a team time trial, with the 43.4-km race starting in Clark in Pampanga and finishing in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.