Russian Nikita Shulchenko rules 22.9-km Stage 7 Individual Time Trial to keep yellow jersey

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte — Russian Nikita Shulchenko dealt another crushing blow to his MPTC Tour of Luzon foes, conquering the rolling and windy Stage 7 Individual Time Trial and strengthening his grip on the yellow jersey on Tuesday.

Setting off last and needing to beat Seoul’s Min Kyeong Ho’s provisional best time of 31 minutes and 32 seconds, the 26-year-old LCW UAE rider raced as if there was no tomorrow and came in clocking a blistering 30:06 minutes in ruling the 22.9-kilometer (km) lap that started and ended beside the town hall and passed through the Maharlika Highway overlooking the famous Bangui windmills.

It was a scintillating ride for the Russian conqueror as he did not only surpass Mr. Min, he also topped the stage 49 seconds faster than his closest pursuer in the general classification race in teammate Ibrahiem Alrefai, who checked in at second.

The South Korean team trial specialist, who came out of nowhere to top the Tuguegarao-Pagudpud Stage 6 on Monday, wound up third, 1.26 minutes off Mr. Shulchenko in the lap.

“It was beautiful, amazing,” said Mr. Shulchenko while cooling down biking on his rollers at his team’s assigned tent.

The brutal effort in Pagudpud, while a shorter distance and not as hot as the previous ones, did not offer respite, the cyclists, now down to 77 from 89, needed, after braving through an 816.1-km distance that included nine mountain climbs including the vicious Dalton Pass, a daunting 10-km ramp with steep gradient that connects Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.

And Mr. Shulchenko made sure everybody felt it except himself.

“I just did my best,” said Mr. Shulchenko, whose lead over Mr. Alrefai in the overall individual race is now 1.38 minutes from 49 seconds on Monday with an aggregate time of 19:31:20.

It was Mr. Shulchenko’s second podium finish after ending up second to Mr. Alrefai in the Calatagan-Tagaytay Stage 1.

After a one-day pause in the Stage Two Team Time Trial in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, Mr. Shulchenko took charge and seized the solo lead with no plans of relinquishing it.

“Yes I do and hope I can finish on top after all stages,” he said.

While Messrs. Shulchenko and Alrefai were untouchable in the top two, the rest of the top 10 riders weren’t following major changes headed by the ascension of 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines’ Mervin Corpuz from sixth to third, 4.15 minutes off the pace.

Mr. Corpuz’s teammate, Ronnilan Quita, jumped from sixth to fourth while Excellent Noodles’ Douglas Tyler Hannay went from seventh to fifth.

Antoine Huby, also of 7-Eleven, dropped from No. 4 to 6 after being slapped with a 33-second time penalty and a P975 fine for violating regulations on distances and gaps when he refused to fall back after another rider caught up with him.

It was worse for Go for Gold’s Dave Montemayor, Jericho Jay Lucero and Rench Michael Bondoc, and Standard Insurance’s Jexxel Ehd Azur, who slipped out of the top 10 from Nos. 3, 8, and 10, respectively.

Defending champion Joo Dae Yeong of Gapyeong has slowly but surely closing in after hopping from No. 20 to 16 or 6:35 minutes behind.

Mercifully, the 14-stage race staking P1 million to the individual champion and P2 million to the team titlist courtesy of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., the Manuel V. Pangilinan Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission takes a much-needed break on Wednesday before it resumes on Thursday with a relatively flat 157.4-km Pagudpud-Paoay Stage Eight. — Joey Villar