Le Tour de Langkawi 2018 – Stage 2 [Highlights]

March 19, 2018

Le Tour de Langkawi 2018 – Stage 2 – Gerik – Kota Bahru : 208,3 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, but has been reduced to eight stages over recent years. 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.

In a reduced bunch sprint, Ricardo Minali (Astana) came up trumps on stage 2 of the Tour de Langkawi. Race leader Andrea Guardini (Bardiani-CSF) struggled on the two catergorised climbs and lost his yellow jersey.

Minali took the stage win, his first professional victory, ahead of compatriots Matteo Malucelli (Androni) and Paolo Simion (Bardiani-CSF). In the GC, Minali now leads Joonyong Seo (KSPO) by five seconds with Malucelli third on the same time.

The 130-rider strong peloton had split on the two categorised climbs in the first half of the stage with race leader Andrea Guardini a notable rider to miss the selection. Despite the race leader missing in the finale, Minali showcased his sprint potential with a commanding win and victory celebration.

“Finally, I succeeded to do a straight sprint. [My teammate] Gidich was very good in the last turn and Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev did turn all by himself from minus two kilometres to minus one,” Minali told TuttoBici. “I need to thank a lot them. I hope this is the first of many victories. I feel so good, so happy and now I try to bring home more victories before coming back home to Europe and then try to win there also.”

The win is Minali’s first since joining Astana last year and the 22-year-old explained the victory felt as good as his first-ever racing win.

“Yes, fourth race, six years old. I literally won a stage with one leg because 50 metres from arrival I lost one pedal after hitting speed bump … the kid beside me thought it was in the rules of cycling and purposely did the same. We both sprinted on one leg and I won,” he recalled. “Today I feel just as excited as I did that day.”

Of the riders favoured for the overall victory, Mekseb Debesay (Dimension Data) is best placed in fourth at seven seconds.

Stage 3 of the Tour de Langkawi is another day for the sprinters but is an easier affair with no categorised climbs. The stage will take place over 166km from Kota Bharu to Kuala Terengganu.

How it unfolded

Assembling in Gerik, the peloton set off along the northern border with Thailand on the same roads that brought the peloton the other way on stage 2 in last year’s race. While a number of riders were sporting bandages after the late crash on stage 1, all were able to sign on and race.

With the two categorised climbs to start the second longest stage of the race in 2018, there was an aggressive effort made to establish the breakaway. The riders to force the move were John Ebsen (Forca-Amskins), Bernardo Suaza (Manzana-Postobon), Marcelo Felipe (7 Eleven) and Muhammad Abdurrohman (KFC). The quartet was joined by Alvaro Duarte (Forca) and Wilmar Jahir Perez (Sapura) to form a leading sextet.

At the back of the peloton, race leader Andréa Guardini was dropped on the first climb. He was paced back into the peloton by his Bardiani-CSF teammates but was not so lucky on the second climb and lost contact with the peloton. Only seeing them again in Kota Bharu.

At the first KOM, a cat 3, Felipe took maximum points but it was Suaza taking the full points at the Banjaran Titiwangsa Cat 1 climb to move into the classification lead by stage end.

Having led the peloton by a maximum of eight minutes in the stage, the breakaway started to see its advantage trimmed once onto the flat roads. The peloton had been clipped in half over the Cat 1 climb but there remained enough firepower to make the catch of the breakaway 80km shy of the finish line.

With 30km to race, Liu Jianpeng (Hengxiang) and Niu Yikui (Mitchelton) sensed an opportunity and jumped out of the peloton, to quickly built a one-minute lead. The Chinese duo though sat up after the final sprint point 10km later and the first group was all back together.

The tranquillity wasn’t to last long with a wave of attacks coming thick and fast. However, a second bunch sprint in as many days became the favoured outcome and in the dash to the line it was Astana who came up trumps with Minali.

Results :
1 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 5:18:20
2 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
3 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
4 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
5 Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
6 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
7 Kaden Groves (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
8 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
9 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
10 Dylan Page (Swi) Team Sapura Cycling
11 Jordan Arley Parra Arias (Col) Manzana Postobon
12 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
13 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data
14 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
15 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Cycling Team
16 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
17 Sam Crome (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
18 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data
19 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Manzana Postobon
20 Yikui Niu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
21 Muhammad Shaiful Adlan Mohd Shukri (Mas) Malaysia
22 Selamat Juangga (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
23 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
24 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
25 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
26 Salvador Guardiola (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
27 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
28 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
29 Piotr Brozyna (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
30 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
31 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Team Sapura Cycling
32 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
33 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
34 Simone Velasco (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
35 Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
36 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Cycling Team
37 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
38 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
39 Brendon Davids (RSA) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
40 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
41 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
42 Carmelo Franco Martinez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
43 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Kinan Cycling Team
44 Wilmar Jahir Perez Muñoz (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
45 Juan Felipe Osorio Arboleda (Col) Manzana Postobon
46 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
47 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
48 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
49 Alvaro Raul Duarte Sandoval (Col) Forca Amskins Racing
50 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
51 Luca Chirico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
52 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
53 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
54 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
55 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
56 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
57 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
58 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
59 Nik Mohd Hazwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
60 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon
61 Rustom Lim (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
62 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
63 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
64 Muhammad Abdurrohman (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
65 Victor Niño Corredor (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
66 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
67 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
68 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Rally Cycling
69 Fernando Orjuela Gutierrez (Col) Manzana Postobon
70 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
71 Daniel Ven Cariño (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
72 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Cycling Team
73 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
74 John Ebsen (Den) Forca Amskins Racing
75 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
76 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
77 Agung Sahbana (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
78 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
79 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data
80 Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:16
81 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
82 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:00:17
83 Morgan Smith (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:00:21
84 Azli Najmi Zulkefli (Mas) Malaysia 0:00:25
85 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
86 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:03
87 Massimo Rosa (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
88 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:04:18
89 Sukho Kang (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:13:15
90 Imam Arifin Muh (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
91 Michael Bresciani (Ita) Bardiani CSF
92 Abdul Gani (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
93 Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Rally Cycling
94 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
95 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
96 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
97 Liu Manduo (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
98 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
99 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
100 Arjay Peralta (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
101 Andris Vosekalns (Lat) Hengxiang Cycling Team
102 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
103 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
104 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
105 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
106 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
107 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
108 Mahrus Ali (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
109 Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
110 Muhammad Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
111 Muhamad Firdaus Awang (Mas) Malaysia
112 Muhammad Elmi Jumari (Mas) Malaysia
113 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
114 Genki Yamamoto (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team
115 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
116 Guangtong Ma (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
117 Sungbaek Park (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
118 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
119 Meng Yan (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
120 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
121 Anuar Manan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
122 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
123 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
124 Kenji Nakanishi (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team
125 Luca Wackermann (Ita) Bardiani CSF
126 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
127 Amir Mustafa Rusli (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:15:09
DNF Li Jiabao (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
DNF Haiwang Liu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
DNF Zhihui Jiang (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 8:47:13
2 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:00:05
3 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
4 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:00:07
5 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
6 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
7 Nik Mohd Hazwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
8 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines 0:00:08
9 Yikui Niu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
10 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Manzana Postobon
11 Alvaro Raul Duarte Sandoval (Col) Forca Amskins Racing 0:00:09
12 Jordan Arley Parra Arias (Col) Manzana Postobon
13 Muhammad Abdurrohman (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
14 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
15 Dylan Page (Swi) Team Sapura Cycling 0:00:10
16 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon
17 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia 0:00:11
18 Kaden Groves (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
19 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
20 Sam Crome (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
21 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
22 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
23 Muhammad Shaiful Adlan Mohd Shukri (Mas) Malaysia
24 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
25 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data
26 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
27 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Team Sapura Cycling
28 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
29 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
30 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
31 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Cycling Team
32 Selamat Juangga (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
33 Salvador Guardiola (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
34 Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
35 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
36 Luca Chirico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
37 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
38 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
39 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Kinan Cycling Team
40 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Cycling Team
41 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
42 Simone Velasco (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
43 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
44 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
45 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
46 Juan Felipe Osorio Arboleda (Col) Manzana Postobon
47 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
48 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
49 Rustom Lim (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
50 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
51 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data
52 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
53 Brendon Davids (RSA) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
54 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
55 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
56 Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
57 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Rally Cycling
58 Piotr Brozyna (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
59 Wilmar Jahir Perez Muñoz (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
60 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
61 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
62 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
63 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
64 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
65 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
66 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
67 John Ebsen (Den) Forca Amskins Racing
68 Carmelo Franco Martinez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
69 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Cycling Team
70 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
71 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
72 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
73 Fernando Orjuela Gutierrez (Col) Manzana Postobon
74 Agung Sahbana (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
75 Daniel Ven Cariño (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
76 Victor Niño Corredor (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
77 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
78 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
79 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
80 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
81 Massimo Rosa (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia 0:00:21
82 Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:27
83 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
84 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:00:28
85 Morgan Smith (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:00:32
86 Azli Najmi Zulkefli (Mas) Malaysia 0:00:36
87 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:14
88 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:04:29
89 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:13:14
90 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:13:20
91 Abdul Gani (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:13:26
92 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
93 Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Rally Cycling
94 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
95 Andris Vosekalns (Lat) Hengxiang Cycling Team
96 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
97 Arjay Peralta (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
98 Mahrus Ali (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
99 Sukho Kang (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
100 Imam Arifin Muh (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
101 Anuar Manan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
102 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
103 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
104 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
105 Muhammad Elmi Jumari (Mas) Malaysia
106 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
107 Sungbaek Park (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
108 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
109 Genki Yamamoto (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team
110 Luca Wackermann (Ita) Bardiani CSF
111 Muhamad Firdaus Awang (Mas) Malaysia
112 Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
113 Guangtong Ma (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
114 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
115 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
116 Kenji Nakanishi (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team
117 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
118 Meng Yan (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
119 Michael Bresciani (Ita) Bardiani CSF
120 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
121 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
122 Muhammad Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
123 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
124 Liu Manduo (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
125 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
126 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
127 Amir Mustafa Rusli (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:15:20