Tour of Hainan 2017 – Stage 8 [FULL STAGE]

November 08, 2017

Tour of Hainan 2017 – Stage 8 – Wuzhishan-Qiongzhong – Lingshui : 188,8 km

The Tour of Hainan is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Hainan Province, China. The race consists of nine stages and is part of the UCI Asia Tour. The event was first held in 2006. It was made a UCI 2.1 race from 2007 and upgraded to category 2.HC in 2009.

Marco Zanotti (Monkey Town) won stage 8 of the Tour of Hainan from a reduced peloton, taking full advantage of the absence of Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina) and Martin Laas (Delko Marseille), who were unable to overcome the day’s first difficulty.

It was a tight finish, with Zanotti squeezing out Marco Maronese (Bardiani CSF) and Emils Liepins (Delko Marseille), while Jacopo Mosca (Wilier Triestina) placed 7th on the stage to retain the lead with one day to go in the 12th Tour of Hainan.

“I came to Hainan without racing for three months but I trained well the mountains,” Zanotti explained. “I’m not a sprinter like a few years ago anymore but in a smaller peloton like today, I can still have a say. Nowadays, there are sprinters like Mareczko who is almost unbeatable here, but on a harder course, I can still play my cards. I hadn’t won a race for two years. I came close on several occasions but finally, I managed to unlock myself.”

The first category climb out of Wuzhishan put several sprinters in difficulty in the early morning after the queen stage. Second and third on stage 7, Benjamin Prades (Ukyo) and Marc De Maar (Hengxiang) were among the most motivated attackers. Mosca felt the fatigue but the Wilier Triestina team kept him focused to bring him back in the main group. Zanotti won the KOM prize after 12 kilometres ahead of Patrick Schelling (Vorarlberg), Sam Crome (IsoWhey Sports-Swisswellness), De Maar and Prades, which was a strong indication of what was going to follow.

36 riders gathered at the front after 36 kilometres when Schelling opened a solo attack. At kilometre 55, he missed a move by Serghey Tvetcov (Jelly Belly), Andriy Vasylyuk (Kolss), Martin Schäppi (Switzerland) and best Asian rider Liu Jianpeng (Hengxiang), but he was prompt in rejoining the quartet before the KOM prize at km 126, which he duly won. Jai Hindley (Mitchelton-Scott) bridged the gap by himself to make it a front group of six riders. Tvetcov rode away 30km before the end. Schelling made it across but the duo was reined in with 6km to go.

Mosca commented: “I have to say a big thank you to my team, especially [Luca] Raggio, [Ilya] Koshevoy and a great [Alex] Turrin who have guided me since km 0. In the first hill, I was a bit in trouble. I didn’t feel good. They brought me back and then, with the help of Bardiani who was interested to set up the sprint for Maronese, we managed to catch the breakaway that worried us a lot at some point.”

Delko Marseille led the sprint for Liepins in Lingshui. “I thought I was going to win but there was some headwind in the last one hundred metres,” the Latvian explained. “Two guys [Zanotti and Maronese] took my wheel and passed me within the last ten metres. I got a very good lead out, I sprinted well but I launched a bit too early due to this headwind. I’m not happy with this third place.”

Winning the stage meant moving up to third place overall for Zanotti who is only seven seconds down on Mosca in the overall ranking before the conclusive stage. “I think it’ll be very difficult to win GC,” the Monkey Town rider said. “I expect a full bunch sprint finish tomorrow and there are stronger sprinters than me but I have to try because it’s a great opportunity.”

A tired Mareczko is thus forced to go for a sixth stage victory on Sunday to prevent Zanotti, his training partner from Brescia, from depriving Mosca, his teammate from Wilier Triestina, of the overall win.

Results :
1 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Monkey Town Continental Team 4:57:47
2 Marco Maronese (Ita) Bardiani CSF
3 Emils Liepins (Lat) Rietumu Banka – Riga
4 Mykhaylo Kononenko (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
5 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Team Vorarlberg
6 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
7 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
8 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
9 Oscar Pujol Munoz (Spa) Team Ukyo
10 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
11 Joab Schneiter (Swi) Switzerland
12 Gian Friesecke (Swi) Team Vorarlberg
13 Benjami Prades Reverter (Spa) Team Ukyo
14 Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
15 Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF
16 Chris Prendergast (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team
17 Sergiy Grechyn (Ukr) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team
18 Andrii Bratashchuk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
19 Gordian Banzer (Swi) Switzerland
20 Justin Paroz (Swi) Switzerland
21 Ivar Slik (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
22 Marc De Maar (Ned) Hengxiang Cycling Team
23 Dimitri Bussard (Swi) Switzerland
24 Radoslav Konstantinov (Bul) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team
25 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
26 Maarten De Jonge (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
27 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
28 Alex Turrin (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
29 Patrick Schelling (Swi) Team Vorarlberg
30 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
31 Andriy Vasylyuk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
32 Mingrun Chen (Chn)
33 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
34 Cristian Andres Peña Meneses (Col) Rts – Monton Racing Team
35 Jason Lea (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
36 Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
37 Oleksandr Prevar (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
38 Jai Hindley (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
39 Martin Schäppi (Swi) Switzerland
40 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
41 Sam Crome (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:07
42 Taylor Shelden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
43 Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:00:09
44 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:00:10
45 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:18
46 Rodrigo Araque Lorente (Spa) Team Ukyo 0:16:18
47 Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
48 Oleksandr Polivoda (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
49 Martin Lavrič (Slo) Attaque Team Gusto 0:21:55
50 Yadong Wang (Chn)
51 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
52 Samuel Jenner (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
53 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton Scott
54 Sven Van Luijk (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
55 Juan Jose De Jesus Carrero Acosta (Col) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team
56 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
57 Zsolt Dér (Hun) Team Vorarlberg
58 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Team Ukyo
59 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Vorarlberg
60 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
61 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
62 Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
63 Andriy Kulyk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team
64 Lukas Meiler (Ger) Team Vorarlberg
65 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:26:24
66 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
67 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
68 Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk
69 Reid Mcclure (Can) Team Novo Nordisk
70 Rick Van Breda (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
71 Joris Blokker (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
72 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF
73 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Rts – Monton Racing Team
74 Dylan Page (Swi) Switzerland
75 Stephan Bakker (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team
76 Lukas Spengler (Swi) Switzerland
77 Martin Meiler (Ger) Team Vorarlberg
78 Abdullojon Akparov (Uzb) Beijing Xds – Innova Cycling Team
79 Mikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
80 Eiichi Hirai (Jpn) Team Ukyo
81 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
82 Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
83 Tanzou Tokuda (Jpn) Team Ukyo
84 Wen Chung Huang (Tpe) Attaque Team Gusto
85 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
86 Paolo Lunardon (Ita) Rts – Monton Racing Team
87 Martin Laas (Est) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
88 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
89 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
90 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
91 Steven Manuel Cuesta Zamora (Col) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team
92 Meng Yan (Chn)
93 Jure Rupnik (Slo) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team
94 Alexis Cartier (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team 0:26:50
95 Travis Samuel (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team
DNF Timothy Guy (Aus) Attaque Team Gusto
DNF Mehdi Benhamouda (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Fuwen Xue (Chn) Mitchelton Scott
DNF Gerd De Keijzer (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Marc-Antoine Nadon (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team
DNF Benjamin Hill (Aus) Attaque Team Gusto
DNF Tianhao Gu (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
DNS Miras Torekhanov (Kaz) Keyi Look Cycling Team
DNS Weijie Hou (Chn)
DNS Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Keyi Look Cycling Team
DNS Daniel Dominguez Barragan (Spa) Keyi Look Cycling Team
DNS Bieken Nazaerbieke (Chn)

General Classification after Stage 8 :
1 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia 33:10:10
2 Benjami Prades Reverter (Spa) Team Ukyo 0:00:03
3 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:00:07
4 Mykhaylo Kononenko (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:00:08
5 Marc De Maar (Ned) Hengxiang Cycling Team
6 Emils Liepins (Lat) Rietumu Banka – Riga 0:00:14
7 Jianpeng Liu (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:00:15
8 Andriy Vasylyuk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:00:17
9 Patrick Schelling (Swi) Team Vorarlberg 0:00:20
10 Oscar Pujol Munoz (Spa) Team Ukyo
11 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:00:21
12 Gordian Banzer (Swi) Switzerland
13 Dimitri Bussard (Swi) Switzerland
14 Jai Hindley (Aus) Mitchelton Scott
15 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
16 Alex Turrin (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
17 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:00:25
18 Justin Paroz (Swi) Switzerland 0:00:52
19 Maarten De Jonge (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:00:57
20 Oleksandr Prevar (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:01:30
21 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:01:42
22 Ivar Slik (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:01:52
23 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:01:54
24 Gian Friesecke (Swi) Team Vorarlberg 0:01:55
25 Sam Crome (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 0:02:04
26 Andrii Bratashchuk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:02:46
27 Bo Wang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team
28 Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:03:06
29 Joab Schneiter (Swi) Switzerland 0:03:10
30 Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
31 Taylor Shelden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:03:17
32 Chris Prendergast (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team 0:03:42
33 Mingrun Chen (Chn) 0:03:52
34 Radoslav Konstantinov (Bul) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team 0:05:10
35 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton Scott 0:05:48
36 Marco Maronese (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:07:42
37 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Team Vorarlberg 0:07:52
38 Jason Lea (Aus) Isowhey Sports Swisswellness
39 Cristian Andres Peña Meneses (Col) Rts – Monton Racing Team
40 Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:07:57
41 Martin Schäppi (Swi) Switzerland 0:08:27
42 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:09:13
43 Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia 0:13:21
44 Sergiy Grechyn (Ukr) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team 0:14:35
45 Oleksandr Polivoda (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:17:45
46 Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:19:20
47 Rodrigo Araque Lorente (Spa) Team Ukyo 0:20:43
48 Sven Van Luijk (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:23:26
49 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Vorarlberg 0:24:34
50 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk 0:25:05
51 Juan Jose De Jesus Carrero Acosta (Col) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team
52 Zhiwen Chen (Chn) Giant Cycling Team 0:25:37
53 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:26:45
54 Luca Raggio (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia 0:26:57
55 Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:27:21
56 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Team Ukyo 0:27:25
57 Mikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:27:28
58 Yadong Wang (Chn) 0:28:38
59 Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk 0:29:34
60 Meng Yan (Chn)
61 Andriy Kulyk (Ukr) Kolss Cycling Team 0:29:43
62 Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk 0:30:07
63 Steven Manuel Cuesta Zamora (Col) Hainan Jilun Cycling Team 0:31:52
64 Wen Chung Huang (Tpe) Attaque Team Gusto 0:32:24
65 Travis Samuel (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team 0:32:37
66 Jiankun Liu (Chn) Mitchelton Scott 0:32:51
67 Dylan Page (Swi) Switzerland 0:34:07
68 Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:34:14
69 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF 0:34:16
70 Lukas Spengler (Swi) Switzerland
71 Samuel Jenner (Aus) Mitchelton Scott 0:34:40
72 Abdullojon Akparov (Uzb) Beijing Xds – Innova Cycling Team 0:36:16
73 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:36:28
74 Lukas Meiler (Ger) Team Vorarlberg 0:36:30
75 Eiichi Hirai (Jpn) Team Ukyo 0:37:02
76 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:37:32
77 Zsolt Dér (Hun) Team Vorarlberg 0:37:55
78 Zheng Zhang (Chn) Hengxiang Cycling Team 0:39:03
79 Jure Rupnik (Slo) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team 0:39:09
80 Reid Mcclure (Can) Team Novo Nordisk
81 Hang Shi (Chn) Giant Cycling Team
82 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:39:20
83 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia 0:40:02
84 Martin Laas (Est) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:40:30
85 Joris Blokker (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:40:53
86 Stephan Bakker (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:40:59
87 Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia
88 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia 0:41:08
89 Rick Van Breda (Ned) Monkey Town Continental Team 0:41:40
90 Martin Meiler (Ger) Team Vorarlberg 0:42:27
91 Tanzou Tokuda (Jpn) Team Ukyo 0:47:38
92 Alexis Cartier (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling Team 0:50:08
93 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Rts – Monton Racing Team 0:54:17
94 Paolo Lunardon (Ita) Rts – Monton Racing Team 0:56:22
95 Martin Lavrič (Slo) Attaque Team Gusto 0:57:34