[LostViking]

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Le Tour de Langkawi, Malaysia.

Since 2008, and with the sole exception of 2010, this race has been the exclusive preserve of Sr. Gianni Savio and his Androni Giocattoli Team.
But other teams, including Orica GreenEdge are chomping at the bit to rain on Savio's parade. Should be interesting.

Androni will be fielding Gil, Ochoa, Rodriguez, Bertazzo, Facchini and Rosa.

Among thier challengers will be Allan Davis and Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEdge), Theo Bos (Blanco Pro Racing), Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar) and Andrea Guardini (Astana Pro Team).

My Danger Man pick for this race:
Jonathan Monsalve (Vivi Fantani) - who won this race in 2011 while riding for Le Meastro Savio on Androni. I'm thinking that Monsalve would like to prove he can do it again, without Savio's self-declared magic touch.

Le Tour De Langkawi Start List | Cyclingnews.com

Ten days of racing in Malaysian heat and humidity with no rest days - sometimes, I don't envy these guys!

Stage Date Start and Finish Distance:

Stage 1) Thursday, 21 February 2013 Kangar - Kulim 162.7 km

Stage 2) Friday, 22 February 2013 Serdang - Kuala Kangsar 117.8 km

Stage 3) Saturday, 23 February 2013 Sungai Siput - Cameron Highlands 140.7 km

Stage 4) Sunday, 24 February 2013 Tapah - Kapar 168.0 km

Stage 5) Monday, 25 February 2013 Proton - Genting 110.3 km

Stage 6) Tuesday, 26 February 2013 Mentakab - Kuantan 217.5 km

Stage 7) Wednesday, 27 February 2013 Kuantan - Dungun 149.8 km

Stage 8) Thursday, 28 February 2013 Kuala Terengganu - Tanah Merah 164.5 km

Stage 9) Friday, 1 March 2013 Pasir Puteh - Kuala Berang 123.6 km

Stage 10) Saturday, 2 March 2013 Tasik Kenyir - Kuala Terengganu Loop 114.8 km

TOTAL DISTANCE : 1469.7 km

Gallery: Teams Presented At Tour De Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

 

[NTA]

Should be interesting.:thumbsup:

 

[LostViking]

Stage One

Kangar - Kulim

After a three-man breakaway of lesser known riders were allowed to wilt on the sweltering roads to Kulim, the peloton swallowed the breakaway and everything seemed to point to a blazing bunch sprint for the win.

Effectivly led out by the ever-young Greame Brown, Theo Bos secured his second win of the season when the two Blanco riders pre-empted the bunch sprint and Brown launched Bos before the other sprinters could collect themselves.

So here's your top ten as of Stage One:


1) Theo Bos (Blanco Pro Cycling Team) 4:00:17

2) Bryan Coquard (Team Europcar)

3) Andrea Guardini (Astana Pro Team)

4) Steele Von Hoff (Garmin - Sharp)

5) Jacob Keough (United Healthcare Pro Cycling)

6) Aldo Ino Ilesic (United Healthcare Pro Cycling)

7) Anuar Manan (Synergy - Baku Cycling Project)

8) Francesco Chicchi (Vini Fantini - Selle Italia)

9) Hossein Nateghi (Tabriz Petrochemical Team)

10) Mauro Abel Richeze (Team Nippo - De Rosa)

It's early days yet but besides Bos, some other notables in the top ten are Chicchi and Guardini - worth keeping an eye on.

Bos With A Good Feeling After Langkawi Victory | Cyclingnews.com

Nine more stages to go!

 

[LostViking]

Stage Two

Serdang - Kuala Kangsar

Yet another sprinter's stage...
With the same result - Theo Bos (Blanco), again ably led out by Brown, sprinted to the win and again got the jump on his closest rival, Guardini.

But Stage Three will likely change things as the road starts to go up and down in the Cameron Highlands. The sprinters will have to hang on to the wheel as the climbers lead the way upwards and onwards. Will Blanco be able to shepard Bos through the crucible without significant time-loss? Bos has said that he thinks he will lose the leader's jersey during Stage Three - but I'll bet Blanco puts up a good fight.

 

[LostViking]

Stage Three

Sungai Siput - Cameron Highlands

Meiyan Wang (Hengxiang Cycling Team) took the victory - his biggist yet - in the Cameron Highlands.

This result has drastically changed the prospects for a GC podium.
Here are the current top ten:

1) Meiyin Wang (Hengxiang Cycling Team) 10:44:44
2) Julian D Arredondo Moreno (Team Nippo - De Rosa) 0:02:43
3) Nathan Haas (Garmin - Sharp) 0:03:29
4) Wesley Sulzberger (Orica GreenEdge) 0:03:33
5) Chad Beyer (Champion System Pro Cycling) 0:03:35
6) Jonathan Monsalve (Vini Fantini - Selle Italia)
7) Dennis Van Niekerk (MTN Qhubeka)
8) Pieter Weening (Orica GreenEdge)
9) Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (MTN Qhubeka)
10) Fortunato Baliani (Team Nippo - De Rosa)

With two minutes and forty-three seconds up on his nearest rival - this stage has put Wang firmly in the driver's seat. It is his race to lose.

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 3 Results | Cyclingnews.com

 

[LostViking]

Stage Four

Tapah - Kapar

Francesco Chicchi (Vini Fantini - Selle Italia) outsprinted Andrea Guardini (Astana) to take the stage win, but Meiyin Wang remains firmly in the leader's jersey with almost three minutes on his nearest rival, Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa).

1) Meiyin Wang (Hengxiang Cycling Team) 14:29:06
2) Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa) 0:02:43
3) Nathan Haas (Garmin - Sharp) 0:03:29

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 4 Results | Cyclingnews.com

 

[LostViking]

Stage Five

Proton - Genting Highlands

We have a new leader! The queen stage of this race was won by Columbian rider Julian Arredondo (Nippo-De Rosa). Overnight leader Meiyin Wang (Hengxiang Cycling Team) lost huge hunks of time and was relegated to fifth place on GC almost three minutes behind Arredondo.

Traditionally, it is accepted wisdom that the winner on the Genting Highlands stage will win the overall.
However, there are a few riders out there (Weening, Pardilla, Stetina and Haas) who will probably not accept that wisdom at all.


1) Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa) 17:43:20

2) Pieter Weening (Orica GreenEdge) 0:01:22

3) Sergio Pardilla (MTN Qhubeka) 0:02:10

4) Peter Stetina (Garmin - Sharp) 0:02:33

5) Meiyin Wang (Hengxiang Cycling Team) 0:02:40

6) Tsgabu Grmay (MTN Qhubeka) 0:02:45

7) Amir Kolahdozhagh (Tabriz Petrochemical Team)

8) Fortunato Baliani (Team Nippo - De Rosa) 0:02:49

9) Nathan Haas (Garmin - Sharp) 0:02:54

10) John Ebsen (Synergy - Baku Cycling Project) 0:02:55

As the course now moves into less hilly terrain, the challengers will be hard-pressed to find an advantagous loaction for an attack. If Arredondo and his team can just keep Weening and Pardilla from getting away in a break or two - he may be in for the biggest win of his career.

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 5 Results | Cyclingnews.com

Arredondo Set To Follow History With Langkawi Victory | Cyclingnews.com

Kruopis Honing Sprint Form At Tour De Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

In other Langkawi news, Theo Bos (Blanco) has had to DNF due to a suspected stomach infection.

 

[LostViking]

Stage Six

Mentakab - Kuantan

Team Blanco continues thier good showing at Le Tour de Langkawi with a soaking solo stage win by Tom Leezer - this on the heels of their leader, Theo Bos having to abandon due to a presumed stomach infection. Despite numerous attacks, Julian Arredondo remains in the leader's jersey. Orica-GreenEdge's Weening continues to hold on to his second place and Sergio Pardilla in third is producing a good showing for MTN Qhubeka in that new team's first real test.

1) Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa)

2) Pieter Weening (Orica GreenEdge) 0:01:16

3) Sergio Pardilla (MTN Qhubeka) 0:02:10

Arredondo will have to stay on his toes as I suspect his jersey will be attacked to the finish.

Ill Bos Forced Out Of Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

Former Langkawi Winner Monsalve Not Giving Up After Genting Defeat | Cyclingnews.com

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 6 Results | Cyclingnews.com

MTN-Qhubeka At Tour De Langkawi With Strength In Numbers | Cyclingnews.com

In other news:

Louder Heading Home After Being Hit By Car At Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

This is insane! An official's car hits a rider and just leaves him on the roadside?

I hope that isn't the complete story.

 

[giosblue]

Is any of this this on the telly?

 

[LostViking]

Is any of this this on the telly?

Check out Steephilltv for possibilities.

 

[LostViking]

Stage Seven

Kuantan - Dungun

Andrea Guardini (Astana Pro Team), points leader, has won Stage Seven in a group sprint finish in Dungun. The podium was unaffected by today's results:

1) Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa)

2) Pieter Weening (Orica GreenEdge) 0:01:15

3) Sergio Pardilla (MTN Qhubeka) 0:02:10

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 7 Results | Cyclingnews.com

With only three more stages to go, time is running out for per-race hopefuls like Monsalve (3:31 minutes behind) to wrest the leader's jersey from Arredondo.

Giani Savio must be in the dumps; the highest placed Androni Giocattoli rider is Tomas Martinez a daunting 4:38 behind the leader. Seems unlikely one of Savio's riders will even make the podium this time out.

Guardini Completes Astana Transfer With Langkawi Victory | Cyclingnews.com

 

[LostViking]

Stage Eight

Kuala Terengganu - Tanah Merah

Winning the stage by a bike throw was Bryan Coquard (Team Europcar) closely contested by Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Francesco Chicchi (Vini Fantini - Selle Italia) and Andrea Guardini (Astana Pro Team). The only man happier than Coquard at this outcome is race leader Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa), who maintained his lead over Pieter Weening (Orica GreenEdge) and Sergio Pardilla (MTN Qhubeka).

For all intents and purposes, it appears that Arrendondo will hold on to the jersey and thus his career's greatest victory thus far. Guardini's points jersey looks pretty secure as well.


Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 8 Results | Cyclingnews.com

Langkawi Mission Accomplished For Coquard | Cyclingnews.com

Crash Knocks Kruopis Out Of Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

Attacking Meyer Finding His Legs At Langkawi | Cyclingnews.com

 

[LostViking]

Stage Nine - Results

Pasir Puteh - Kuala Berang

The Tricolor waves proudly in the humid Malaysian breeze as Neo-Pro Bryan Coquard (Europcar) wins the double - his second stage win in as many days. Coquard narrowly avoided a crash and was well lauched by a teammate to win the bunch sprint.

Despite suffering from a suspected food poisoning, Points Jersey wearer Andrea Guardini completed the stage and retained the blue points jersey.

No change to the general classification.
Race Leader Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo - De Rosa) can put the Champagne on ice for tomorrow's victory ride.

Peloton Struck Down By Illness At Tour De Langakwi | Cyclingnews.com

Le Tour De Langkawi 2013: Stage 9 Results | Cyclingnews.com