Tour of Luzon: Joo tightens hold on yellow jersey
SAN JUAN, LA UNION—Don’t expect Joo Dae-yeong to lose the yellow jersey any time soon.
With more flat roads ahead, the South Korean sprinter is poised to safely defend his overall lead at the ongoing MPTC Tour of Luzon.
Joo finished safely within the main pack during Saturday’s Stage 3, won by Ean Cajucom of Victoria Sports Cycling Team, to remain firmly in control.
“We hope to maintain our position for as long as we can,” said Joo, who seized the yellow jersey after winning the opening stage in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
Cajucom threw himself across the line ahead of a frenzied sprint, completing the sweltering 133.30-kilometer ride from Vigan City in two hours, 51 minutes and 42 seconds.
He had been part of an eight-man breakaway group that held the lead for nearly two hours before the chase group, led by Joo and other general classification contenders, reeled them in near Bacnotan town, just 5 km from the finish.
“I saw an opportunity and just pedaled hard as we approached the line,” said Cajucom in Filipino after edging Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah and Poul Aquino, who completed the podium with identical times.
Sunday’s Stage 4 will kick off in Agoo, La Union, and conclude in Clark, Pampanga, covering 160 km of flat terrain across the plains of Pangasinan and Tarlac.
There was little movement in the overall standings, with Joo maintaining a lead of over four minutes ahead of second-placer Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance Philippines in the eight-stage race presented by Duckworld PH and Cignal.
Aidan James Mendoza of Go For Gold stayed in third, 4:40 behind Joo, followed by Dominic Perez (4:44), George Oconer (4:46), Mervin Corpuz (4:50), Rustom Lim (4:54) and Malaysian Faiz Fakhri Omar (5:27).
No major shake-ups are expected over the next three days, as the routes remain generally smooth and rolling.
The real challenge looms after the individual time trial in Stage 6, when the surviving riders will tackle the grueling climbs of Baguio City in the final lap.
“It’s hard to say what will happen over the next couple of days. I’ll just try my best and stay safe and healthy,” said Joo, a two-time South Korean national champion.
