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In the middle of a 36-man peloton that crossed the finish line yesterday was this year’s champion.

Victor Espiritu, who had the 2007 Padyak Pinoy title in the bag after the Baguio stages, took a casual, trouble-free ride in the 10th and final lap to win his second Tour title 11 years after winning his first.

After getting off his bike at the crowded finish line fronting the Rajah Sulaiman Park along Baywalk, the 31-year-old climber hugged his wife. Then he celebrated with his teammates and posed before the cameras.

“Hindi ko inasahan pero masaya ako dahil nanalo ulit ako (I didn’t expect this but I’m happy with this second win),” said Espiritu, who won his first title in the famed Marlboro Tour as a reed-thin rookie.

Espiritu, who carries the RP flag in major international competitions, finished the 10-lap, 11-day odyssey on wheels with an overall time of 33 hours, 2 minutes, 38 seconds.

The victory was worth P50,000. But Espiritu will go home with more than that, counting his P18,000 in lap earnings, P28,000 for a third King of the Mountain award, and a share from the P500,000 prize for his victorious Wow Magic Sing team.

“It’s for my family and my kid’s education. The rest I’ll save,” added Espiritu, who can now look forward to December’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand where he will seek a second gold medal.

Other two-time winners of the Tour are Jose Sumalde, Cornelio Padilla, Manuel Reynante, Jacinto Sicam, Carlo Guieb, Renato Dolosa and Warren Davadilla. Only Antonio Arzala has won it thrice.

“I will definitely go for it next year,” said Espiritu of a rare three-peat.

Finishing second in the overall standings was Baler Ravina of Cool Pap (33:03.8) while third was Irish Valenzuela of Cossack Vodka (33:04.18). They took home P30,000 and P20,000, respectively, aside from lap earnings.

Vellum’s Michael John David took top honors in the final lap, a 90-km criterium, with a clocking of 1:49:54.96 with Cool Pap’s Oscar Rendole and Champion’s Johnny Bautista checking in second and third with identical times of 1:49:54.96.

Espiritu, Ravina and Valenzuela crossed the line in 1:52:4.94 with the big group of riders that finished from 16th to 52nd places.

“It was really my plan to float along with them,” said Espiritu.

“I’m contented with my performance,” said the 25-year-old Ravina, winner of the killer Baguio-to-Baguio stage.

“I’m happy, I hope I’ll do better next year,” said Valenzuela, a 20-year-old rider from Kamias, Quezon City and the 2006 top rookie, a distinction that went to 23-year-old Carlos Nadyahan of Caltex.

Rounding up the top 10 were last year’s winner and Champion skipper Santy Barnachea (33:05.24), Air21’s Lloyd Reynante (33:06.38), U-Freight’s Merculio Ramos (33:07.21), Cossack Vodka’s Renato Sambrano (33:08.00), Caltex’s Jose Calderon (33:10.52), Bacchus’ Ericson Obosa (33:21.25) and Wow Magic Sing’s Harvey Sicam (33:23.19). 

Meanwhile, organizing committee chairman Gary Cayton and race manager Paquito Rivas said the investigation on the controversy that marred Stage 9 will be over in two weeks.

“It’s unfortunate that it happened. It’s uncalled for and illegal,” said Cayton, referring to the stage where some riders took it upon themselves to cut the 195-km Baguio-to-Pampanga stage 10 kms shorter by taking a different route.