Ex-champ exhorts local bets to form alliance vs Russian Tour leader

Nikita Shulchenko.—TOUR OF LUZON PHOTO

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte—After getting a much-needed recharge, Filipino riders in the MPTC Tour of Luzon will enter the second half of the fabled summer odyssey on wheels on Thursday, trying to chop down the formidable lead the Russian Nikita Shulchenko has built after the first seven stages.

The remaining 77 out of the original field of 89 will leave this scenic beachfront for a 142.6-kilometer journey towards another landmark in this province, Paoay’s San Agustin Church, with the local aces seeking to put a dent in an imposing gap of more than four minutes Mervin Corpuz is staring at in third spot.

While admitting that the odds are stacked against him and the rest, Corpuz vowed to give a determined fight to the end nonetheless. But a former champ knows that Corpuz won’t be able to do it alone.

“It’s going to be tough taking that yellow jersey [from Shulchenko] because they already have the advantage,” Corpuz said in Filipino during a mid-race press conference here. “But if given a chance plus some added luck, I don’t think it’s an impossible task.”

While Corpuz acknowledged the giant task ahead, MPT Drivehub coach and former Tour winner Mark Galedo wants something to happen so that local pride is toasted at the end of the 14-stage event in Baguio in a week.

“I’ve said before [this] started that our riders won’t win if they go their own ways instead of helping each other,” Galedo said in Filipino. “Sometimes we need the cooperation of each rider in order to beat these foreign riders.”

Corpuz talked in plural form when he referred to the lead, as Shulchenko’s LCW UAE Cycle teammate and main protector, Ibrahiem Alrefai, is running second, more than two minutes ahead of Corpuz.

The two foreign aces have thwarted all challenges thrown at dislodging them, with Shulchenko padding his overall lead to this formidable figure after winning the 23-km individual time trial here on Tuesday with a lot left in his tank.

“I do believe that I can keep my lead and stay on top,” Shulchenko, the five-day leader with a total time of 19 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds, said before cooling his heels on Wednesday.

Galedo, a former national team mainstay, was the 2014 Le Tour de Filipinas champ after a successful climb to Baguio via Ambuklao. He definitely knows what he’s talking about.

“In the end, it’s every man for himself towards the finish line,” he added. “But if there’s cooperation in order to catch up on the overall standings, everyone will benefit from it. So why don’t [the Filipino riders] do it?”

Corpuz had his opportunity in Stage 6 when he was part of a lead pack that held a nine-minute lead over Shulchenko and the rest of the peloton going from Tuguegarao to here, only to fade in the final 40 km.