Pressure on for locals as Syrian, Russian go 1-2 in Tour of Luzon opener

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Syrian teenager Ibrahiem Alrefai gets the coveted yellow jersey to start the 2026 Tour of Luzon as foreigners dominate the challenging first stage

CAVITE, Philippines – The pressure is on for local riders in the 2026 Tour of Luzon.

This after foreigners dominated the 143.7-kilometer opening stage as Syrian teenager Ibrahiem Alrefai of UAE club Life Cycle Works earned the yellow jersey on Wednesday, April 29. 

Alrefai, 19, seized an early lead in the individual general classification (GC) after crossing the finish line at the Praying Hands in Tagaytay here first with a time of 3 hours, 36 minutes, and 35 seconds.

Life Cycle Works secured a one-two coup as Russian Nikita Shulchenko finished behind Alrefai — the two working hand in hand at the final stretch after they broke away from the pack previously led by defending champion Joo Daeyeong of Korean squad Gapyeong Cycling Team. 

Alrefai enjoyed a stellar Tour of Luzon debut, also nailing the white jersey for Best Young Rider, the red jersey for Most Combative Rider, the green jersey for the sprint classification, and the polka dot jersey for the King of the Mountain awarded to the stage’s best climber.

“I’m really happy today to be in the Philippines. We came all the way from the UAE to get the win. We just finished the first stage with the first and second place. I have no words to explain my feelings. I feel good today,” said Alrefai. 

All eyes were on Joo as he sought to replicate his smashing start to his 2025 title run — the 29-year-old Korean forming part of a three-man breakaway group midway through the challenging stage that started at the Calatagan South Beach in Batangas. 

Joo built a one-minute advantage before being passed by Life Cycle Works’ Ivan Anisimov, who paved the way for teammates Alrefai and Sulchenko to take the lead and preserve it the rest of the way.

With a big target on his back, Joo finished the stage over two minutes later at 15th place. 

“I have no idea about the level of the riders here. I felt good in the last kilometers and my teammate was in the front. I just attacked and we went together to the finish line,” said Alrefai.

British Tyler Hannay of local club Excellent Noodles Cycling Team placed third a little under two minutes later, preventing a Filipino from joining the podium as Go For Gold Philippines’ Jericho Lucero finished closely behind at fourth.

“We made a mistake when the [foreigners] broke away, we were not able to follow them right away,” said Lucero in Filipino. 

But with 13 stages to go, there is optimism for the Filipinos to bridge the gap with the leaders.

“We know the race is long and there is still a chance for us to take the yellow jersey from the foreigners,” Lucero said. 

Veteran Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance Philippines led an initial six-man breakaway that included riders from Excellent Noodles, Life Cycle Works, Go For Gold, and the Malaysian National Team before they were swallowed by the peloton. 

Oranza, one of the most accomplished Filipino riders in the field, ranked 37th. 

Go For Gold topped the team GC with a combined time of 14 hours, 34 minutes, and 32 seconds followed by Excellent Noodles and Standard Insurance. 

The Tour of Luzon will travel to Clark, Pampanga, for the team time trial second stage on Thursday, April 30, and will run until May 13 for the finale in Baguio City. 

A P1 million prize is up for grabs in the individual GC, while a P2 million purse is at stake in the team GC. – Rappler.com