By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
MANGATAREM, Pangasinan – Frenchman Antoine Huby once again showcased his climbing prowess, unleashing another powerful attack in the decisive uphill finish to rule Stage 12 of the Tour of Luzon 2026 on Monday, May 11, from Agoo, La Union to the Daang Kalikasan Mangatarem View Deck here.
The 7-Eleven rider, who conquered the brutal Stage 10 atop the treacherous 30-kilometer Bessang Pass ascent, proved dominant in the climbs as he overtook leaders Jericho Lucero of Go for Gold, MPT Drivehub’s Nash Lim and LCW UAE’s Ivan Anisimov in the final kilometer stretch to secure his second stage victory in the race.
He clocked 3 hours, 17 minutes and 37 seconds in the relatively flat 141.4-kilometer stage, which featured a steep 7.4-kilometer climb at Daang Kalikasan with an average gradient of 21 percent.
“I know I’m a good climber. It was really hard. When we started the climb, my teammate did a great job of helping me so I needed to finish the job today,” said the 25-year-old Huby, who once rode for the UCI WorldTeam Soudal-Quick-Step in 2024.
It was a crucial result for Huby, whose stage victory chopped 2:34 minutes off his deficit to Russian general classification leader Nikita Shulchenko of the LCW UAE, trimming the gap to just 1:20 heading into Tuesday’s penultimate Stage 13 — an individual time trial in Lingayen that the Frenchman admitted does not suit his strengths.
“In my mind, I need to make one big effort (today) because I need to make a small gap going to the ITT stage. My legs are already tired, but I’ll do my best,” said Huby.
Meanwhile, Shulchenko tightened his grip on the yellow jersey after launching his move from the peloton in the final seven kilometers and finishing 1:20 behind Huby for second place. D’Reyna’s Erickson Delos Santos came in third at 1:41 off the pace, but was later assessed a 10-second penalty and fined 12.5 euros (P975) for receiving an extended push from team support.
In the general classification, Yousef Ibraheim Alrefai trails teammate Shulchenko by 4:29, while Malaysian National Team’s Muhammad Syawal Mazlin and Ronnilan Quita sit 7:06 and 7:19 back, respectively.
7-Eleven also strengthened its grip on the team standings, leading nearest rival Go for Gold by five minutes, with Standard Insurance in a distant third at 17:35 down.
Stage 13 features a 20-kilometer individual time trial starting and finishing at the Pangasinan Baywalk, serving as a prelude to Wednesday’s final Stage 14 — a 173.9-km route from Lingayen highlighted by a grueling 38.6-km climb to the finish along Loakan Road leading to John Hay Hotels in Baguio City.
