Tour of Luzon: 7-Eleven captures team classification crown

FILE–Fan favorite Mervin Corpuz and 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines rules team classification in the our of Luzon. –CONTIBUTED PHOTO

BAGUIO—7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines claimed the team classification title of the MPTC Tour of Luzon and the top purse of P2 million.

The team led by Frenchman Antoine Huby, Ronnilan Quita and fan favorite Mervin Corpuz compiled 162 hours, 25 minutes and 49 seconds across 14 stages to beat out the closest contender, Go for Gold Philippines and Dubai-based LCW UAE Cycle.

Go for Gold, which led for most of the derby on wheels, placed second, 18:27 back, while LCW, led by Tour champion Nikita Shulchenko, settled for third with a gap of 19:39.

7-Eleven snatched the lead after the brutal Stage 10 that ended at Bessang Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, which saw Huby taking the lap win, Quita placed third and Jonel Carcueva finishing sixth.

Huby’s late push to a second-place finish behind Shulchenko and Quita maintaining his consistency and claiming fifth overall also contributed to 7-Eleven’s triumph.

Corpuz, meanwhile, was sixth in the overall standings, which was also key for 7-Eleven.

Go for Gold received P1.5 million after settling for runner-up honors, while LCW got P1 million for reaching the podium.

Behind Stage 3 winner Dave Montemayor, top 10 finisher Rench Michael Bondoc, Marc Ryan Lago and young Marvin Mandac, Go for Gold was in contention to take the team GC before 7-Eleven’s rise during the latter stages.