Seoul Cycling Team tops Stage Two of MPTC Tour of Luzon

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SEOUL CYCLING TEAM — FACEBOOK.COM/TOUROFLUZONCYCLING

TEAM EXCELLENT NOODLES — FACEBOOK.COM/TOUROFLUZONCYCLING

PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

Excellent Noodles grabs the overall team lead

CAPAS, Tarlac — Seoul Cycling Team took lap honors while Excellent Noodles did just enough to wrest the overall team lead in Thursday’s 43.4-kilometer (km) Stage Two Team Time Trial in the MPTC Tour of Luzon that started in the parade grounds of Clarkfield, Pampanga and ended at the New Clark City.

The Koreans overcame the searing heat, which reached as high as 36°C, clocked 56:35 minutes under the scorching heat that reached in ruling the stage with Min Kyeong Ho, Lee Jung Hoon, Jung Woo Ho and Lee Jin Gu as the four counted riders.

But it was the Excellent Noodles squad of Ryan Tugawin, Joseph Javiniar, Mar Francis Sudario, Jomar Camingao, Sumiso Basalan, Ramon Dela Cruz, and Douglas Tyler Hannay who seized the spotlight after ending up second in the lap and snatching the overall team lead from Go for Gold.

The Alex Billan-owned squad timed in 57:02 in the lap that propelled it to the top with an aggregate clocking of 15:31:54 and in strong contention for the top purse worth P2 million in this 14-stage race.

Mr. Tugawin, its team captain, however, was quick to say that it’s too early to tell.

“It’s really hard to think of it because it’s just the second lap and we still have more,” he said. “But everything will depend on the conditioning of the whole team and we will do our best to fight for it.”

Standard Insurance skipper Ronald Oranza, whose side checked in at third in the lap in 57:30, for his part, said it will take a collective effort for them to have a chance to win the race.

“The race is tougher this year and I think we need to do our best as a team to win but we will try,” said the former Ronda Pilipinas titlist.

For Seoul’s Lee Jung Hoon, they’re just too happy to survive the challenging conditions.

“In Korea it’s hot, but it’s nothing like this one in the Philippines, so it’s really a hard one,” said Jung Hoon, whose pack remained at 11^th overall or 19.38 minutes off the pace.

Go for Gold dropped from first on Thursday to third or 44 seconds behind Excellent Noodles, winding up sixth on this one.

The Tour presented by the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and supported by the Manuel V. Pangilinan group of companies and the Philippine Sports Commission resumes on Friday with Gapyeong’s Joo Dae Yeong wearing the yellow jersey in the 145.4-km Clark to Palayan Stage Three. — Joey Villar