Le Tour de Langkawi 2018 – Stage 3 [Highlights]

March 20, 2018

Le Tour de Langkawi 2018 – Stage 3 – Kota Bahru – Kuala Terengganu : 166 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.

Adam de Vos ripped up the sprinters’ script at the Tour de Langkawi, with the Rally rider taking stage 3 win victory via the day long breakaway. De Vos lead home Daeyeon Kim (KSPO) and Nik Zulkiflie (Forca-Amskins) by 13 seconds after attacking from the four-rider group two kilometres from the Kuala Terengganu finish.

Race leader Ricardo Minali (Astana) finished in the peloton 1:20 minutes behind the breakaway to concede the yellow jersey to De Vos. Malaysian Anuar Manan (Forca-Amskins) won the field sprint for fifth place to the cheer of the home fans.

In three days of racing, there have now been three different stage winners and race leaders at the 23rd edition of the Tour de Langkawi.

“The gentlemen to my right was really fast in the intermediate sprints so I knew I didn’t want to arrive at the finish with him,” De Vos said of Kim while seated next to him in the post-stage press conference.

“I thought I would take my chances solo and out of the last corner with two K to go, I attacked and had a gap quickly and was able to hold it and extend it all the way.”

De Vos is now well placed in the battle for the GC, with pre-race favourite Mekseb Debesay (Dimension Data) 1:26 in arrears. Stage 5 to Cameron Highlands is where the race will be lost and won, but the race remains open with five days of racing to come. For now, De Vos was soaking in his first major victory and leader’s jersey in an .HC race.

“I am going to ride as hard as I can up the climb and if I lose the jersey I will be disappointed, but I am still happy with a stage win,” he said.

The stage win was the first in the race for a breakaway since 2015, when Joonyong Seo (KSPO) won on the day from Kuala Terengganu to Kuantan. For, Seo the day wasn’t a success as the Korean crashed and lost his best Asian rider jersey. There was a consolation of sorts with teammate Kim moving into the green rider jersey and Seo holding his top-ten place on GC.

The stage win was also the third victory by a Canadian in Kuala Terengganu with De Vos joining Brian Walton and his Rally director Eric Wohlberg in doing so.

“Maybe it is good soil here for the Canadians,” De Vos said of the city known as a hotbed of Malaysian cycling.

How it unfolded

A little under 24 hours after the stage 2 finish at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Khota Bahru, the peloton returned to start stage 3. Heading out from the Kelantan capital for the 166km stage, there was little struggle compared to previous days to arrange the breakaway.

A nine-man group was quick to form off the front of the bunch. The riders making the move were De Vos (Rally), Nik Zulkiflie (Forca-Amskins), Mahrus Ali (KFC), Thomas Lebas (Kinan), Daeyeon Kim (KSPO), Harry Sweeny (Mitchelton-BikeExchange), Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Thailand), Muhammad Firdaus Awang and Muhammad Kamal (Malaysia National Team).

Of the nonet, Lebas was the most dangerous rider regarding the GC but the peloton was content to let him ride at the head of the race. His job for the day to pick up bonus seconds then drop back to the bunch. Kim won the first two sprints on offer and once the breakaway passed into Terengganu state, the home of the TSG team, the Astana led peloton had handed the now octet a seven-minute lead.

Following the third sprint point at Pantai Penarik, again won by Kim, the breakaway started to lose numbers. De Vos, Zulkiflie, Kim, Sweeny and Peerapol were the survivors and pushed hard to hold their lead.

With the coastal winds picking up in the finale, splits opened up in the peloton. The breakaway also started to splinter with De Vos in particular keen to ensure the stage would not be decided in a sprint. With two kilometres to race, he made the winning move and held off the chasers for his biggest win to date. Over a minute later, the beaten peloton crossed the line with Manan kicking fastest and holding off Eric Young for fifth.

Stage 4 of the Tour de Langkawi is on paper again expected to suit the sprinters and after the upset into Kuala Terengganu, they will be hungry for redemption after 177km of racing from Dungun to Pekan.

Results :
1 Adam de Vos (Can) Rally Cycling 3:58:18
2 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:00:13
3 Nik Mohd Hazwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
4 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
5 Anuar Manan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:01:19
6 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
7 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
8 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
9 Dylan Page (Swi) Team Sapura Cycling
10 Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
11 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
12 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
13 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Manzana Postobon
14 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Cycling Team
15 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
16 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
17 Imam Arifin Muh (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
18 Muhammad Elmi Jumari (Mas) Malaysia
19 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Cycling Team
20 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
21 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data
22 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
23 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data
24 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
25 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
26 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
27 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
28 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
29 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Team Sapura Cycling
30 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
31 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
32 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
33 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
34 Andris Vosekalns (Lat) Hengxiang Cycling Team
35 Selamat Juangga (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
36 Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
37 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
38 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
39 Kaden Groves (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
40 Juan Felipe Osorio Arboleda (Col) Manzana Postobon
41 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Kinan Cycling Team
42 Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
43 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
44 Sam Crome (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
45 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
46 Yikui Niu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
47 Brendon Davids (RSA) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
48 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon
49 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
50 Salvador Guardiola (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
51 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
52 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
53 Morgan Smith (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
54 Luca Chirico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
55 Simone Velasco (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
56 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
57 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
58 Alvaro Raul Duarte Sandoval (Col) Forca Amskins Racing
59 Piotr Brozyna (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
60 Jordan Arley Parra Arias (Col) Manzana Postobon
61 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
62 Sungbaek Park (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
63 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
64 Wilmar Jahir Perez Muñoz (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
65 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
66 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
67 Fernando Orjuela Gutierrez (Col) Manzana Postobon
68 Amir Mustafa Rusli (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
69 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
70 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
71 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data
72 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
73 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
74 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
75 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon
76 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
77 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
78 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
79 Victor Niño Corredor (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
80 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Cycling Team
81 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
82 John Ebsen (Den) Forca Amskins Racing
83 Rustom Lim (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
84 Agung Sahbana (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
85 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
86 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
87 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
88 Muhammad Abdurrohman (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:01:46
89 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:01:51
90 Carmelo Franco Martinez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines 0:01:59
91 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
92 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Rally Cycling
93 Meng Yan (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:02:09
94 Mahrus Ali (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:02:22
95 Michael Bresciani (Ita) Bardiani CSF
96 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
97 Guangtong Ma (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
98 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:02:29
99 Muhamad Firdaus Awang (Mas) Malaysia 0:02:31
100 Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
101 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:02:37
102 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
103 Azli Najmi Zulkefli (Mas) Malaysia 0:02:39
104 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
105 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:02:50
106 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:03:05
107 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:03:19
108 Muhammad Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia 0:03:22
109 Genki Yamamoto (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team 0:03:39
110 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:04:09
111 Luca Wackermann (Ita) Bardiani CSF
112 Sukho Kang (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:04:19
113 Abdul Gani (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:01:19
114 Muhammad Shaiful Adlan Mohd Shukri (Mas) Malaysia
115 Daniel Ven Cariño (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines 0:04:57
116 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team 0:05:02
117 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
118 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling 0:01:19
119 Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Rally Cycling 0:05:08
120 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:05:14
121 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:06:35
122 Liu Manduo (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
123 Arjay Peralta (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
124 Massimo Rosa (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia 0:07:49
125 Kenji Nakanishi (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team 0:13:13
DNF Scott Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
DSQ Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Adam de Vos (Can) Rally Cycling 12:45:31
2 Nik Mohd Hazwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:00:14
3 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange 0:00:22
4 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:19
5 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:01:24
6 Joonyong Seo (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
7 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:01:26
8 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
9 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
10 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Kinan Cycling Team 0:01:27
11 Marcelo Felipe (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
12 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Manzana Postobon
13 Yikui Niu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
14 Alvaro Raul Duarte Sandoval (Col) Forca Amskins Racing 0:01:28
15 Jordan Arley Parra Arias (Col) Manzana Postobon
16 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
17 Dylan Page (Swi) Team Sapura Cycling 0:01:29
18 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon
19 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia 0:01:30
20 Kaden Groves (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
21 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
22 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data
23 Sam Crome (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
24 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Team Sapura Cycling
25 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
26 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
27 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
28 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
29 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Cycling Team
30 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Cycling Team
31 Selamat Juangga (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
32 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
33 Michal Schlegel (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
34 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
35 Salvador Guardiola (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
36 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
37 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
38 Marko Kump (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
39 Luca Chirico (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
40 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Spa) Kinan Cycling Team
41 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
42 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
43 Juan Felipe Osorio Arboleda (Col) Manzana Postobon
44 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
45 Simone Velasco (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
46 Muhammad Shaiful Adlan Mohd Shukri (Mas) Malaysia
47 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
48 Brendon Davids (RSA) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team
49 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
50 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
51 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
52 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data
53 Piotr Brozyna (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
54 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
55 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia
56 Wilmar Jahir Perez Muñoz (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
57 Rustom Lim (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
58 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
59 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
60 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
61 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
62 Fernando Orjuela Gutierrez (Col) Manzana Postobon
63 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
64 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
65 John Ebsen (Den) Forca Amskins Racing
66 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Cycling Team
67 Agung Sahbana (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
68 Victor Niño Corredor (Col) Team Sapura Cycling
69 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
70 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
71 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:01:46
72 Yecid Arturo Sierra Sanchez (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:01:47
73 Morgan Smith (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:01:51
74 Muhammad Abdurrohman (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:01:55
75 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Rally Cycling 0:02:10
76 Carmelo Franco Martinez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
77 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
78 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:02:33
79 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:02:50
80 Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:02:58
81 Phuchong Saiudomsin (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:03:01
82 Azli Najmi Zulkefli (Mas) Malaysia 0:03:15
83 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:03:40
84 Daniel Ven Cariño (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines 0:05:08
85 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team 0:05:13
86 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:06:28
87 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:07:06
88 Massimo Rosa (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia 0:08:10
89 Daeyeon Kim (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:13:24
90 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:14:33
91 Anuar Manan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:14:45
92 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
93 Imam Arifin Muh (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
94 Andris Vosekalns (Lat) Hengxiang Cycling Team
95 Muhammad Elmi Jumari (Mas) Malaysia
96 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
97 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
98 Dominic Perez (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines
99 Mohd Zamri Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team
100 Abdul Gani (Ina) KFC Cycling Team
101 Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing
102 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
103 Sungbaek Park (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
104 Jacob Hennessy (GBr) Mitchelton-BikeExchange
105 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:15:11
106 Meng Yan (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:15:35
107 Mahrus Ali (Ina) KFC Cycling Team 0:15:47
108 Guangtong Ma (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:15:48
109 Michael Bresciani (Ita) Bardiani CSF
110 Muhamad Firdaus Awang (Mas) Malaysia 0:15:57
111 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:16:03
112 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:16:31
113 Amir Mustafa Rusli (Mas) Forca Amskins Racing 0:16:39
114 Seungwoo Choi (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:16:45
115 Muhammad Ameen Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia 0:16:48
116 Genki Yamamoto (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team 0:17:05
117 Luca Wackermann (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:17:35
118 Sea Keong Loh (Mas) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
119 Sukho Kang (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling 0:17:45
120 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Bennelong Swisswellness Cycling Team 0:18:28
121 Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Rally Cycling 0:18:34
122 Arjay Peralta (Phi) 7 Eleven – Cliqq Roadbike Philippines 0:20:01
123 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Bianchi Asia Procycling
124 Liu Manduo (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
125 Kenji Nakanishi (Jpn) Kinan Cycling Team 0:26:39