Photo: MPTC Tour of Luzon

By Nate Castillo

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan --- Russian Ivan Anisimov scored a second straight stage win after topping Stage 5 of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) Tour of Luzon 2026, which started in Santiago City, Isabela and ended in front of the city hall here.

A trouble-free run in the relatively flat 126.7 kilometer race route saw the LCW UAE Cycling Team rider attack in the final 200 meters to cross the line first in a mass finish.

He clocked in two hours, 47 minutes and 26 seconds, along with a bunch of 64 other riders, for back-to-back victories following his Stage 4 conquest in Isabela on Saturday.

“It was a very fast (final) two kilometers because Team Seoul had a very good train. In the last kilometer we we’re going 60 kilometers (per hour) or more. In the last 500 meters I followed the sprinter of Seoul and in the last 200 meters, I started my attack,” the 23-year-old Anisimov said.

“It's an amazing win for me. I’m very happy,” added Anisimov, who came back from a crash to win Stage 4.

Local rider Ryan Tugawin of Excellent Noodles finished second while Jung Hoon Lee of Seoul Cycling Team crossed third with the same time as Anisimov.

Despite landing 42^nd in the bunch finish, Russian Nikita Shulchenko of LCW UAE, kept his hold of the yellow jersey with a total time of 13:36:45 in the individual general classification.

He opened a 49-second gap ahead of second-running LCW UAE teammate Yousef Ibraheim Alrefai while at far third sat Stage 3 winner Dave Montemayor of Go for Gold Philippines, who was behind Shulchenko by two minutes and four seconds.

Go for Gold remained in front of the general team classification with an accumulated time of 56:15:28, ahead by 11 seconds of second-running 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines. 

Standard Insurance was in third, 50 seconds back.

A 223.7-km. Stage 6 is set Monday, running from Tuguegarao City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.