FIRST BUNCH SPRINT AT MALAYSIA
Mattia Gavazzi (Diquigiovanni) claimed both the stage win and the race’s leadership at the end of the 14th Tour de Langkawi’s opener, over a 133-km route from Putrajaya to Senawang. The Italian rider was the fastest in the mass sprint at the finish of the stage. Prior to the bunch arrival, three cyclists broke away and were chased down by the peloton, with the Diquigiovanni riders setting the race’s tempo all-day-long.
All six riders from FUJI-SERVETTO –Vigano, Kessiakoff, Cobo, Duran, Nardello and Clarke- came into the main peloton, in the same time Gavazzi spent to reach the finish in first position.
“We tried to get into the sprint with Vigano, but he got out of place in the last meters,” Alvaro Crespi, team general manager explained after the stage. “The lads are feeling OK, as they’re not suffering from the jet-lag. We spent yesterday’s training ride on reconnoiting the climb towards Genting Highlands -the Sp. Cat, the uphill finish the peloton will have to get over on next Friday, and we found it is really, really hard. It’s a 25-km long climb, and we had to do the last 7 kilometres on a 39*25 gear. If there aren’t any breakways gaining a lot time during the race, it’s gonna be decided here, and we’re expecting to get into the winning break with Cobo –the protagonist of today’s first escape of this year’s Malaysian stagerace- or maybe Kessiakoff.”
The Tour of Langkawi will be heading to its second finish at Melaka tomorrow, after a 160-km journey starting from Senawang.
RESULTS:
14th LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI
1st stage:
1. Mattia Gavazzi (Diquigiovanni) 3.06.42
2. Chris Sutton (Garmin-Slipstream) s.t.
3. Nolan Hoffman (South Africa National Team) s.t.
…
18. Davide Vigano (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
21. Fredrik Kessiakoff (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
37. Juanjo Cobo (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
67. Arkaitz Durán (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
72. Daniele Nardello (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
103. Hilton Clarke (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
General Classification:
1. Mattia Gavazzi (Diquigiovanni) 3.06.32
2. Chris Sutton (Garmin-Slipstream) 0.03
3. Nolan Hoffman (South Africa National Team) 0.04
…
21. Davide Vigano (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.10
24. Fredrik Kessiakoff (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
40. Juanjo Cobo (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
70. Arkaitz Durán (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
75. Daniele Nardello (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.
105. Hilton Clarke (FUJI-SERVETTO) s.t.