THE biggest cash pot ever in Philippine cycling history of P12 million will be up for grabs in the 2026 MPTC Tour of Luzon (ToL), with the rider wearing the yellow jersey at the end of the 14-stage race bringing home P1 million, and the team that stands atop the podium rejoicing its way to the bank with P2 million.
'Expect the battle for victory to rage on until the checkered flag waves," said Arrey Perez, Chief Organizer and CEO of the Tour on Easter Sunday. “With the peloton neck-and-neck, every pedal stroke counts, and only the strongest will claim the top spot!’
He said, “The race will likely be tight and exciting until the very end.” "Get ready for a heart-stopping, adrenaline-fueled ride!”
The general classification winner, or individual champion, bags P1 million and the runner-up gets P500,000, a significant half-a-million difference.
The same with the race for the Tour of Luzon perpetual trophy—the team champion’s purse of P2 million is pegged at P.5 million more than the second placer of the race that kicks off in 25 days on April 29 at CaSoBe in Calatagan.
“The goal is to be the champions—individual and team—because getting second place are miles and miles behind [in terms of cash prizes],” Perez said.
The total pot and champions purse are the biggest in the Tour that had its humble yet historic beginnings in the Manila-Vigan Race in 1954, with the richest being the 1995 race where Renato Dolosa won the second of his two trophies and P500,000 and a brand new car.
“Surely this Tour of Luzon will be a battle,” said Dolosa, now a road race commissaire. “Look at the difference in prizes between the champion and the runner-up, that’s a lot to fight for to the end.”
Dolosa went down in Tour history as a champion who didn’t win any stage in the 1992 Marlboro Tour and ruled only one—Cabanatuan City to Santiago City (Isabela)—in 1995.
The Marlboro Tour went on to hike the prize money to P500,000 for the individual champion in its last three years from 1996 to1998, after which the champion also got P500,000 in the summer sports spectacle’s Alberto Lina era.
The pot hit P1 million in the inaugural edition of the Ronda Pilipinas.
The prizes for both team and general classification are scaled down in the race supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee and raced under International Cycling Union regulations through sanctioning national federation PhilCyling.
The third-placed rider after 14 stages in gets P400,000; fourth P300,000; fifth P250,000; sixth P200,000, seventh 175,000; eighth P150,000; ninth P125,000; and 10th 100,000
The team prizes from third to 10th place are pegged at P1,000,000; P500,000; 400,000, P300,000; 250,000;, P200,000; P150,000; P150,000; and P100,000.
The Eagle of the Mountain—the climber with the most King of the Mountain (Polka Dot) points—will clinch P350,000; the Sprint King (Green) P300,000; and the Best Young Rider (White, under-23) P200,000.
The Stage Winner (Purple) will be rewarded P10,000, Most Combative (Red) P3,000 for 11 stages and the Yellow jersey is worth P15,000 each day.
Stage 1 on April 29 of the MPTC Tour of Luzon will be from CaSoBe (Calatagan) to Tagaytay City, Stage 2 team time trial from Clark Parade Grounds to New Clark City, Stage 3 from New Clark City to Palayan City, Stage 4 from Palayan City to Bayombong, Stage 5 from Santiago City to Tuguegarao City, Stage 6 from Tuguegarao City to Pagudpud and Stage 7 Pagudpud-Pagudpud the first of two individual time trial (ITT) races.
The rest day will be in Pagudpud on April 6 with Stage 8 set the next day from Pagudpud to Paoay, Stage 9 Laoag City to Candon City, Stage 10 Candon City to a first-ever Tour finish on Bessang Pass, Stage 11 from Candon City to San Juan in La Union, Stage 12 from Agoo to Daang Kalikasan in Mangatarem, Stage 13 ITT on the Baywalk in Lingayen and Binmaley in Pangasinan and the final Stage 14 from Lingayen to Scout Hill at John Hay Hotels in Baguio City.
