THE MPTC TOUR OF LUZON 2025

What does it take to conquer Luzon on a bike?

The Tour of Luzon—the most anticipated multi-stage cycling race that pushed cyclists to their limits through rugged terrain and unforgiving distances—has long stood as the defining event of Philippine cycling. It began in 1954 with the Manila-Vigan Race, inspired by European Grand Tours and designed to showcase Filipino cycling talent.

Known in its early days as The Summer Sports Spectacle on Wheels, the Tour of Luzon became an annual tradition, despite a brief lull between 1970 to 1972, enduring most famously as the Marlboro Tour for 22 years. By 1999, the global anti-tobacco campaign had led to a clampdown on cigarette advertising, forcing a halt to the race.

Despite the setback, the Filipino cycling community’s enduring passion breathed life back into the sport with the creation of the Tour of Calabarzon in 2002. This regional tour reignited public interest and laid the groundwork for the return of national-level races. In 2003, the Tour de Filipinas was revived and financed by Airfreight 2100 of Alberto “Bert” Lina and Lito Alvarez, and featured a 17-leg race, the longest since 1998, won by Arnel Quirimit of Pangasinan.

A legendary logistics tycoon and the first president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling), Bert Lina carried the torch for the Tour through its various forms and names in the years to follow: FedEx Express Tour, Padyak Pinoy, Ronda Pilipinas, and the Golden Tour in 2005 to commemorate 50 years of Philippine cycling. Le Tour de Filipinas in 2010 brought the Philippines to the international stage, as it aligned with UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) standards and became part of the UCI Asia Tour from 2011 to 2019.

The tour attracted both local and international athletes, consistently highlighting Filipino talent—until the COVID-19 pandemic brought it to a standstill in 2020.

In 2025, after years of anticipation, the Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival returns with the support of long-time Philippine sports executive and benefactor Manuel V. Pangilinan, whose support for the Tour—and his friend, Bert Lina—has remained unwavering throughout the years of Le Tour de Filipinas.
Presented by Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, organized by DuckWorld PH, and powered by Cignal TV, the Tour’s revival edition will stretch across eight (8) stages and more than a thousand kilometers of seven (7) scenic Luzon regions.

The Tour is poised not just to restore a cherished national tradition, but also to reclaim its place on the global cycling map. As the riders return to the road, the Tour of Luzon doesn’t just represent a race; it marks the resilience of a nation’s cycling spirit—and a thrilling new chapter in its storied journey.