THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has thrown its support behind the Tour of Luzon which returns after years of hiatus starting on Thursday (April 24) in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

“The revival of this very popular cycling event in the country can foster sports consciousness capable of promoting camaraderie and the spirit of competitiveness among our people,” DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said in a memorandum that was cascaded to involved local government units for the eight-stage tour.

“All local government units and their officials are hereby enjoined to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of the event,” added Remulla, who is expected to grace the opening ceremony of “The Great Revival” set late afternoon on Wednesday (April 23) along with Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee and the sanctioning PhilCycling.

“We are grateful for this support from Secretary Jonvic because the Tour of Luzon isn’t just about cycling and sports, the LGUs are very much involved in this event,” said Partrick “Pató” Gregorio, chairman of organizer DuckWorld PH.

Presented by the MVP Group’s Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. headed by Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez, the Tour’s executive director, the individual overall winner will bring home P500,000 with the overall team champion banking P1 million.

The Tour will cover at least 60 cities and municipalities in seven provinces in North and Central Luzon—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Pampanga with special fly by at the New Clark City where an Executive Race will be staged in an out-and-back route in Clark on April 27.

Seventeen teams consisting of 119 riders are seeing action in the Tour also powered by the MVP Group’s Meralco, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, Maynilad, Smart, PLDT, Landco Pacific Corporation and mWELL and Megaworld.

The 1,074.90-kilometer Tour of Luzon that starts on April 24 with the 190.70-km Paoay-Paoay Stage 1, 68.39-km Paoay-Vigan team time trial Stage 2, 130.33-km Vigan-San Juan Stage 3, 162.97-km Agoo-Clark Stage 4, 166.65 Clark-Clark (via New Clark City) Stage 5, 168.19 Clark-Lingayen Stage 6, 15.14-km individual time trial Labrador-Lingayen Stage 7 and finally the queen Stage 8 which is a 172.53-km from Lingayen to the Scout Hill finish inside Camp John Hay in Baguio City.

The teams are 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines, Standard Insurance Philippines, Go For Gold Philippines, Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team, Philippines Under-23-Tom N Toms Coffee, Excellent Noodles, DReyna Orion Cement, Dandez T-Prime Cycling Team, Exodus Army, MPT Drive Hub Cycling Team, 1 Team Visayas, One Cycling Mindanao and Team Pangasinan.

Foreign teams CCN Factory HK from Hong Kong, Malaysia Pro Cycling, Bryton Racing Team from Taiwan and Gapyeong Cycling Team from South Korea are also seeing action.