Syrian, other foreign riders top Tour of Luzon Stage 1

Lap winners Nikita Shulchenko (left) and Alrefai Yousef Ibrahiem of LCW UAE Team.

STAR / Russell Palma

TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines — It will be a long, long race for Filipino cyclists.

The locals found that out early after getting buried under the avalanche of sturdy international challengers, with three foreign riders headed by Syrian Yousef Ibrahiem Alrefai all ending up as podium finishers in Stage 1 of the MPTC Tour of Luzon that started in Calatagan, Batangas and ended up on this breezy mountaintop city.

Alrefai, a 19-year-old Daraa, Syria native representing LCW United Arab Emirates, showed a glimpse of his exceptional mountain-climbing skills in ruling the 143.70-kilometer stage in three hours, 36 minutes and 35 seconds, excluding the 10-second time bonus deducted to stage victors.

He edged by the skin of his teeth Russian teammate Nikita Shulchenko, who checked in with the same time, with Briton Douglas Tyler Hannay of Excellent Noodles edging Filipinos Jericho Jay Lucero and Rench Michael Bondoc to seize third place a minute and 56 seconds off the pace.

“We were chasing the best riders at the start of the climb. I didn't know I had a chance to win until the last 5kms,” said Alrefai, who is cherishing his breakthrough lap victory.

But Alrefai wouldn’t have achieved anything with the help from Shulchenko and another Russian teammate Ivan Anisimov, who set the tone for the former two by seizing the lead for a time approaching the final 20km in second of two ascents in the old Payapa road.

There, Anisimov had his share of glory after snatching the lead from defending champion Joo Dae Yeong, who appeared strong early but just couldn’t sustain his momentum and settled in that 24-man group that checked in at sixth in 3:38:45.

“We want to give him (Anisimov) the win but he don’t want to wear the yellow jersey tomorrow (today),” said Alrefai.

Alrefai will wear the yellow or leader’s jersey himself in today’s 43.43km Stage Two Team Time Trial that will start in Clark field, Pampanga and finish at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

Joo later revealed the burden of being the rider to watch was just too heavy.

“Everybody was watching me,” said Joo.

It wasn’t that the country’s bets didn’t try.

They, in fact, did with Standard Insurance’s Ronald Oranza, a former champion of the defunct Ronda Pilipinas, getting the first crack by spearheading the early six-man breakaway group in the first turn circling the Balayan-Lemery road and the Payapa ascent.

But seizing the first sprint stage race, Oranza drifted back and wound up barely crashing into the top 40.

Good thing there was these brave riders from Go for Gold headed by Lucero and Bondoc, whose resilience catapulted them to the early overall team lead with a total aggregate clocking of 14:34:32, 14 seconds ahead of Excellent Noodles and 28 ticks over Standard Insurance.