Malaysia's Muhammad Zahin Wahhi edges out MPT Drivehub's Mervin Corpuz in Stage 6 of the Tour of Luzon. But South Korea's Joo Daeyong still wears the yellow jersey, ahead by nearly two minutes.
Lingayen, Pangasinan—Muhammad Zahin Wahhi of Malaysia Pro Cycling Team captured Stage 6 in a sprint finish even as Joo Dae Yeong retained the overall lead with two stages remaining in the MPTC Tour of Luzon.
Wahhi completed the 174.5-kilometer route after crossing the line in three hours, 31 minutes and 12 seconds, nosing out Mervin Corpuz of MPT Drivehub and Rench Michael Bondoc of 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines in another dangerous high-octane race.
"The weather is very hot, the race very tough, so I just tried to suffice," said Wahhi, who recovered from a minor crash in Stage 3 to secure his 10th lap victory in an international race.
But it was effort of Corpuz that easily became the day’s highlight that slashed a large chunk off the clockings of Joo, who safely arrived with a large batch of riders that saw the South Korean’s advantage diminish significantly.
Corpuz moved closer to Joo at second place with a difference of one minute and 56 seconds prior to Wednesday’s 15-km individual time trial Stage 7 from this seaside town to Labrador, Pangasinan and the final stage on Thursday in Baguio City.
Corpuz mounted an early attack with 13 other cyclists that they sustained to the finish, including teammate Jonel Carcueva, the Standard Insurance duo of Jan Paul Morales and Jeremy Lizardo, triggering a major shakeup in the overall standings.
"Umakyat ako sa overall, ang target ko talaga yung mahihirap. Sa Baguio, doon magkakaalaman. Matira ang matibay," said Corpuz, who added his climbing prowess to the sprint skills under the guidance of his uncle, three-time Tour champion Santy Barnachea.
Lizardo jumped from ninth to third, just 2:22 behind, and Carcueva climbed from eighth to fourth overall, 2:27 back.
From outside of the top10, Morales made it back at fifth, 2:41 slower than Joo, followed by Bondoc at sixth (2:49) and Nichol Pareja of Victoria Sports Cycling Team at seventh (same time), the three of them part of the 14-man early breakaway that never looked back.
"Goal ko mag-champion kung papalarin. Inimprove ko ang sarili ko palagi. Focused ako sa climb at time trial. Siguro kung sabayan kaya ko. Binabasas ko rin galaw nya (Joo). Kung makina nga nag-ooverheat, tao pa kaya," said Corpuz.
They were apparently motivated by the jacked-up cash prize announced by sports godfather Manny V. Pangilinan during the media night on Monday that doubled the champion’s purse to P1 million while the second placer receives P500,000.
Joining them in the speeding pack that controlled the pace are Emmanuel Dave Montemayor of Exodus Army Cycling Team at eighth (2:54), Jerico Jay Lucero of Go For Gold at ninth (3:00) and Mar Francis Sudario at tenth (3:01).
Dislodged from their positions at the top were Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance, who plummeted from second overall to 13th (4:36) followed by Aidan James Mendoza of Go For Gold (4:42), Dominic Perez (4:49), George Oconer (4:52) and Rustom Lim (5:00).
The Tour’s great revival is backed by Pilipinas Live, Meralco, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Health, Megaworld, Landco, PLDT, Smart and endorsed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board, BCDA and MVP Sports Foundation.
The final stage on Thursday is a 177.54km trek to Camp John Hay in Baguio City where the champion will crowned, made grueling by a twisting 36km summit finish via Kennon Road.