Le Tour de Langkawi 2017 – Stage 6 [Highlights]

February 26, 2017

Le Tour de Langkawi 2017 – Stage 6– Senawang – Muar – 176,3 KM

The Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage bicycle race held in Malaysia. It is named after the archipelago Langkawi, where the first edition started and finished. The race has been held annually since 1996, primarily in the month of February. It usually consists of 10 day-long segments (stages) over 10 days. While the route changes each year, the Genting Highlands climb, the toughest in the tour, is always included. Tour de Langkawi is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a 2.HC road race in the UCI Asia Tour calendar.

For the sixth straight stage, the 2017 Tour de Langkawi welcomed a different winner at the finish line. On a wet and blustery day in Muar, it was Enrico Barbin (Bardiani-CSF) celebrating his first professional victory ahead of Anthony Giacoppo (IsoWhey Sports SwissWellness) and Filippo Pozzato (Wilier Trestina).

Race leader Ryan Gibbons(Dimension Data) rode a defensive finale to finish in 13th place and ensure he starts the penultimate stage of the race with the yellow jersey firmly on his shoulders.

“I was feeling good, not just myself but also my team. We had one rider in the breakaway today. I am not as fast as the fastest sprinters here but at the end of the race I took a good advantage of the circumstances and started my sprint at the right moment,” said Barbin who increased his team’s all-time stage win count for the race to 35.

The finale of the stage was made aggressive by both riders and parcours alike, as positioning was crucial for the right hand turn off the bridge two kilometres before the riverside finish line straight. Despite the best efforts the sprint trains, it was Barbin who took advantage of the chaos, taking the win by several lengths.

“Through the radio we had perfect explanations of the last kilometre and also the direction of the wind. We went to the right position on the bridge, and we knew that after the bridge we had to be on the front with 300 metres to go because it would be difficult for anyone to pass us,” he added.

For Gibbons, after a day that posed early problems, it was one he was happy to finish without loss of time or skin.

“It was the first time in this tour where I haven’t been 100 per cent. I normally excel in the rain but today, I am not sure. My body just wasn’t used to it. The third climb, I lost about 10 seconds going over, which I shouldn’t have, but I found my legs in the third hour and was feeling much stronger towards the end,” he said, before describing the final sprint.

“Going over the bridge when you turn right, UHC was in the front and we were second. We lost a wheel and then four UHC riders and [Jakub] Mareczko got away and I had to commit. I was on the front of the peloton and spent all my energy just trying to close the gap. I didn’t want to lose any time. The UHC rider [Jaramillo] who is up on GC was also there so I committed to not losing any time and brought the peloton with me. When the sprint started, I had already done my effort.”

The seventh and penultimate stage of the tour de Langkawi sees the peloton roll out of Melaka and finish in Rembau 148.1km later. Gibbons leads Cam Bayly Giacoppo (IsoWhey Sports SwissWellness) by 23 seconds with Alberto Cecchin (Wilier Trestina) third at 27 seconds.

How it unfolded

Senawang welcomed the stage 6 start of the race with a light drizzle that became a heavy shower. Asian rider classification leader Yevgeniy Gidich was the only non-starter for the day as the fourth placed overall rider jetted off for the Asian Games.

At the 10km mark, Tanner Putt enjoyed a brief solo break before the peloton pulled him back. The three-man break of Lorenzo Rota (Bardiani-CSF), Wilmar Paredes (Manzana) and Ronald Yeung (Infinite AIS) then went clear on the second climb of the day.

The leaders gradually grew their advantage on the road as the rain continued to fall. At 100km into the stage, the lead hovered around the three-minute mark as Dimension Data sat on the front of the peloton. The gap steadily declined in favour of the peloton and dropped to just over one minute with 30km to race. Over the next ten kilometres, the gap was down to a scant 20 seconds to confirm the stage would be concluding with a sprint finish.

As the break was in sight the peloton, Yeung made an ill-fated bid for glory. With the race all together inside the final 10km for the fast and technical finale, several riders made their bid for victory to disrupt the sprint teams, only to open the door for Barbin to enjoy a maiden victory.

Results :
1 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF 4:09:16
2 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
3 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina
4 Andrea Palini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
5 Marco Maronese (Ita) Bardiani CSF
6 Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
7 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
8 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
9 Daniel Jaramillo Diez (Col) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
10 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
11 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
12 M. Izzat Hilmi Abd Halil (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team
13 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Team Dimension Data
14 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
15 Shijin Zhang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team
16 Sergey Vlassenko (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
17 Anuar Manan (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
18 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
19 Sergio Higuita (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
20 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
21 Shiki Kuroeda (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
22 Chris Harper (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
23 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina
24 Shotaro Watanabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
25 Juan Villegas (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
26 Alberto Cecchin (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina
27 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Team Dimension Data
28 Travis McCabe (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
29 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
30 Ben O’Connor (Aus) Team Dimension Data
31 Rafael Andriato (Bra) Team Wilier Triestina
32 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
33 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
34 Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
35 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
36 Timothy Roe (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
37 Dmitriy Lukyanov (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
38 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
39 Carlos Alzate Escobar (Col) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
40 Fernando Orjuela (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
41 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine
42 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina
43 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
44 Tomohiro Hayakawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
45 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
46 Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
47 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine
48 Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (Col) Androni Giocattoli
49 Stepan Astafyev (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
50 Penghai Deng (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
51 Bernado Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
52 M Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:00:12
53 Victor Nino Corredor (Col) Sapura Cycling Team 0:00:15
54 Dadi Suryadi (Ina) Terengganu Cycling Team
55 Wilmar Jahir Perez Munoz (Col) Sapura Cycling Team
56 Nelson Martin (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine
57 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Sapura Cycling Team
58 M Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Malaysia National Team
59 Taras Voropayev (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
60 Bonjoe Martin (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine
61 Eiman Firdaus Mohd Zamri (Mas) Malaysia National Team
62 Haesung Cho (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
63 Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
64 Jesse James Ewart (Aus) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine
65 Niccolo Pacinotti (Ita) Bardiani CSF
66 Kritsada Changpad (Tha) Infinite AIS Cycling Team
67 Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Team Dimension Data
68 Ying Hon Ronald Yeung (HKg) Infinite AIS Cycling Team
69 Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Malaysia National Team
70 M Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:00:19
71 Irwandie Lakasek (Mas) Malaysia National Team
72 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:00:21
73 Tianhao Gu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
74 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
75 Yecid Sierra (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
76 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:23
77 Sofian Nabil Mohd Bakri (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team
78 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
79 Akmal Hakim Zakaria (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team
80 Ryohei Komori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:00:30
81 Kota Sumiyoshi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
82 Wilmar Paredes (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:00:35
83 M Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:00:37
84 Marino Kobayashi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:00:43
85 Khunakorn Nonthichan (Tha) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:00:55
86 Aspan Zhukenov (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
87 Greg Henderson (NZl) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:00:57
88 Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
89 Navuti Liphongyu (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:01:00
90 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:01:04
91 Haiwang Liu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:01:08
92 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:01:10
93 Nick Dougall (RSA) Team Dimension Data
94 Jacques Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data
95 Siyu Yang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:01:16
96 Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:01:41
97 John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Infinite AIS Cycling Team
98 Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF
99 Xin Wang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:01:50
100 En Huang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:02:37
DNF Xiang Yuan Li (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
DNF Yahui Shi (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team
DNF Thanawut Sanikwathi (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
DNS Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors

General Classification after Stage 6 :
1 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Team Dimension Data 23:02:22
2 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:23
3 Alberto Cecchin (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:00:27
4 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Team Dimension Data 0:00:32
5 Chris Harper (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:33
6 Daniel Jaramillo Diez (Col) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team
7 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
8 Timothy Roe (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
9 Ben O’Connor (Aus) Team Dimension Data
10 Fernando Orjuela (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:00:40
11 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:00:59
12 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:01:02
13 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:01:06
14 Bernado Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:01:10
15 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
16 Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (Col) Androni Giocattoli
17 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:01:22
18 Tomohiro Hayakawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:01:57
19 Dmitriy Lukyanov (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors
20 Victor Nino Corredor (Col) Sapura Cycling Team 0:02:05
21 Wilmar Jahir Perez Munoz (Col) Sapura Cycling Team 0:02:16
22 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine 0:02:28
23 Wilmar Paredes (Col) Manzana Postobon Team
24 Ying Hon Ronald Yeung (HKg) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:02:45
25 Dadi Suryadi (Ina) Terengganu Cycling Team 0:03:11
26 Yecid Sierra (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:03:38
27 Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Team Dimension Data 0:03:52
28 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:04:09
29 Sergey Vlassenko (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors 0:05:29
30 John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:05:37
31 Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:05:59
32 Penghai Deng (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:06:42
33 Jesse James Ewart (Aus) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine 0:07:20
34 Travis McCabe (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:07:32
35 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team 0:07:52
36 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:08:07
37 Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:08:15
38 Carlos Alzate Escobar (Col) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:09:37
39 M Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:10:09
40 Greg Henderson (NZl) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:10:15
41 Siyu Yang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:12:02
42 Niccolo Pacinotti (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:13:11
43 Rafael Andriato (Bra) Team Wilier Triestina 0:13:24
44 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:13:47
45 M Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:13:54
46 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:14:00
47 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:14:07
48 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:14:21
49 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:16:37
50 Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:16:56
51 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:17:10
52 Jacques Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data 0:17:23
53 M Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:19:01
54 Khunakorn Nonthichan (Tha) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:19:25
55 Nick Dougall (RSA) Team Dimension Data 0:19:31
56 Sergio Higuita (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:23:00
57 Marco Maronese (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:23:23
58 Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:23:39
59 Nelson Martin (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine 0:24:05
60 Stepan Astafyev (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors 0:25:16
61 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:25:59
62 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Sapura Cycling Team 0:26:59
63 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:27:28
64 Taras Voropayev (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors 0:28:57
65 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:29:22
66 Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team 0:29:28
67 Xin Wang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:32:08
68 Kritsada Changpad (Tha) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:32:59
69 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:36:12
70 Shiki Kuroeda (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:36:44
71 Tianhao Gu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:36:51
72 Shotaro Watanabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:37:04
73 Haesung Cho (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:37:12
74 Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:37:51
75 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine 0:38:09
76 Juan Villegas (Col) Manzana Postobon Team 0:38:57
77 Navuti Liphongyu (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:39:49
78 Bonjoe Martin (Phi) 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippine 0:41:09
79 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:41:28
80 Haiwang Liu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:41:34
81 Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:41:44
82 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:41:49
83 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team 0:42:17
84 Irwandie Lakasek (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:43:20
85 Kota Sumiyoshi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:43:29
86 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:43:47
87 Ryohei Komori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:43:50
88 M Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Infinite AIS Cycling Team 0:44:42
89 Aspan Zhukenov (Kaz) Vino Astana Motors 0:44:47
90 Shijin Zhang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:44:48
91 Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team 0:45:38
92 Akmal Hakim Zakaria (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team 0:45:49
93 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Team Wilier Triestina 0:46:52
94 Eiman Firdaus Mohd Zamri (Mas) Malaysia National Team 0:48:00
95 Sofian Nabil Mohd Bakri (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team 0:48:19
96 Marino Kobayashi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:49:03
97 M. Izzat Hilmi Abd Halil (Mas) Sapura Cycling Team 0:50:02
98 Andrea Palini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:50:21
99 Anuar Manan (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team 0:50:39
100 En Huang (Chn) Keyi Look Cycling Team 0:53:46