|
NISHITANI
BLASTS TO SUPERB VICTORY, ERLER SAFEGUARDS HIS YELLOW JERSEY
04/03/2010
PARIT
SULONG - Grabbing the third Japanese victory ever in the Tour
de Langkawi – and the sixth by an Asian rider - Taiji
Nishitani took a superb mass bunch sprint win today in Parit
Sulong.
The
29 year old national road race champion scorched it on the
slightly-downhill finish, holding off the double stage-victor
Michael Matthews (Jayco-Skins), his own team-mate Kazuhiro
Mori, plus the rest of the peloton.
It
was the biggest win of his career, and something which gave
him a great deal of satisfaction.
“I
am so happy. My team-mates worked so hard for me,” he
enthused. “I am really happy to take at least one win
in the Tour de Langkawi as this is a very, very important
race for me and my team. I feel satisfied and delighted about
this win.”
Overnight
race leader Tobias Erler retained his yellow jersey yet again,
playing things well tactically and getting good assistance
from his Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling team in controlling
breakaway attempts.
They
kept tabs on things until Swiss competitor Silvere Ackermann
(Vorarlberg-Corratec) and Malaysian rider Ali Fallanie (Malaysia
National Team) attacked thirty kilometres after the start
in Mersing.
Neither
were a big threat to his race lead, and they were given free
rein to build a maximum advantage of four and a half minutes.
Fallanie picked up two bonus sprints, at Kluang and Yong Peng,
before Ackerman surged ahead alone after 140 of the day’s
163.5 kilometres had been covered.
The
latter then took top points on the day’s sole KOM climb
at Kg Sri Jasa and tried to hold on for the stage win, but
was finally caught five kilometres from the line.
Erler
rolled in thirteenth on the stage, staying five seconds clear
of David Pell (Drapac Porsche) in the general classification.
Stage two winner Jay Thomson (South Africa) remains third,
a further two seconds back.
“I
have to say thanks to my team for their work in the first
thirty kilometres, until the break rode away. I had really
bad legs from yesterday,” the German rider Erler said.
“Yesterday I did a lot of work for myself and today
they had to help me as my legs were really not good.
“When
the break rode away, ISD and my team, Andrey Mizurov and myself,
tried to ensure that the break didn’t go above five
minutes so that that sprinting teams would start to chase
in the end. In the end, this day was not as hard as yesterday
for me – yesterday I made it too hard for myself.”
Many
of the general classification contenders are content to bide
their time until Saturday’s crucial stage to Genting
Highlands. That also appears to be the case for those in the
running for the King of the Mountains jersey; Peter McDonald
added a point to his total today and remains on top.
The
same cannot be said of those fighting for the green jersey
of points leader, as there was a real battle on the road today.
The
first of three intermediate sprints took place in Jemaluang,
just 14.6 kilometres after the start, and there Matthews overtook
the total of points leader Anuar Manan (Geumsan Ginseng Asia)
when he won the sprint. Manan was not placed in the first
four and needed to fight back in the subsequent gallops.
The
long-distance breakaway by Fallanie and Ackermann mopped up
some of the available points, but in finishing third and fourth
in the next two intermediate primes, he ensured that he was
level with Matthews going into the crucial finishing sprint.
There,
it was the Australian who came out best. “I was actually
20th wheel back coming into the sprint…I wasn’t
going to go for it at the end as I didn’t feel too good.
Also, coming into it, it was just way too dodgy - there were
people going everywhere. It wasn’t really worth crashing
for so I was just going to sit up.
“I
was in about 20th wheel and then I saw a free run to the front.
So I hit it from 20th wheel and got up to second – I
was happy with that.”
Manan
was just sixth in the finishing gallop and ended the day three
points back. He said afterwards that he felt that wearing
the green jersey meant he was a watched man.
“Today
the race was very hard because I was fighting with Matthews
to get the sprint points. The first sprint was unlucky for
me as a lot of riders seemed to be fighting with me as I wear
the green jersey. Many riders focussed only on me, and were
not looking for Matthews,” he explained.
“I
didn’t get the points there. I tried to get the points
in the second one, but two riders were in the breakaway and
so there were not too many points.
“In
the last intermediate sprint, I only got one point. I was
very tired after that as I had spent too much fighting Matthews.
I tried to save energy to try to get the best place in the
finish line, but was not able to get to the front as many
riders were very close to me. I will try tomorrow.”
He
has the consolation of holding on to the blue jersey of best
Asian rider, but is certain to fight back in the days ahead.
While he is certain not to figure on the gruelling mountain
climb to Genting Highlands, he should be capable of winning
tomorrow and Sunday if they come down to bunch sprints.
After
today, the same can be said for Nishitani. It took him a couple
of days to find his legs, but he’s up to speed now.
“My condition is not yet the best. Until yesterday,
it was really difficult to be up there in the finishing sprint.
After the start today, my legs felt a little bit heavy and
things were a little difficult. But my team did very, very
good work and because of their assistance, I could win today.”
Asian
cycling also triumphed, as the victory is proof that the riders
have moved to a new level. Nishitani’s blistering final
sprint saw him beat some very good competitors from Europe,
Manan’s performances all week have highlighted his ability
and determination, and the general aggressive attitude from
the riders from Malaysia and elsewhere in Asia have been very
encouraging.
More
of the same can be expected on tomorrow’s 111.5 kilometre
stage from Muar to Port Dickson, which is the final flat stage
before Saturday’s crucial race to Genting.
-
End
|
