GC riders with good chrono strength such as Larsson, Peraud and Ratiy will look to put time into everyone else.
There are a few specialists headlined by German Tony Martin, Australian Adrian Liadler and Hugues Mottin who are also worth keeping an eye on.
No checkpoints out on the route today, clearly the timekeepers happier to stay in the air conditioning at the finish area!
No such luxury for the riders and the first serious tester out on course today is Shikai
While we are waiting for his time we pan out to see that this is an put and back into the jungle sort of route.
Shikai meanwhile has come in with a new best time of 29.34, which sets the benchmark for the day really.
Serpa has an early start time, not that in today's virtually windless conditions it should make much difference. He sets a time of 29.40 no too bad in comparison to Shikai who was six seconds faster.
Mottin one of the favourites for the day also goes off quite early - why? it's all alphabetical of course!
Mottin does a good job cutting through the still muggy conditions to set a dominating new best of 28.59. His big rival for today is possibly his teammate Martin.
Laidler goes up the small climb out of the start house with hopes of a decent stage placing today also going relatively early on.
Just before Laidler gets home we receive reports of a good time of 29.25 from Johann Rabie. It slots the South African in front of Shikai and Serpa. But he goes behind Laidler who clocks 29.19 which is the new second best. Here is a glimpse at the provisional Leaderboard.
The next name to watch for is one of the Vespa riders in Garbelli, not a name most will be familiar with but the 32 year old Vespa rider is good against the clock.
A name we must now familiarise ourselves with is the German Tony Martin.
He will certainly be targeting teammate Mottin's time here. Before they come in let's have a look at a third name to watch for the time in Romain Kilun.
He was rather frozen out at Red Bull after a good first year there, he could be given a free license with a good ride here.
Garbelli then finishes in 29.32 good enough for provisional 4th, Martin is right behind and he had a good rabbit going into the provisional lead with a time of 28.53.
Good stuff from the Bouygues pair taking them possibly out of bonification range before the harder stages in the middle of this race. Kilun in the meantime comes home in 29.32 just ahead of Garbelli. Possibly the best of the true GC candidates so far.
It's hard to see anyone beating the Bouygues pair from here so the focus turns onto that GC battle. Assuming Martin cannot be counted (let's face it the German struggles on climbs) here are the three GC candidate to have finished so far.
1. Kilun 29.32
2. Serpa at 8 seconds
3. Osella at 21 seconds
Meiji rider Ji should be considered a GC man and whilst weak on the time trial has improved over the last couple of years.
He produces a really nice effort from him to clock 29.38, two seconds inside of Jose Serpa's time.
Other than sprinter Lo Cicero, Armavia are short of household names, but that is the point really as they look to put riders from countries outside the usual places into the spotlight.
One such rider with Yousef Mirza Banihammad who is a reasonable climber.
He doesn't really stand out though clocking 29.46, fourteen seconds below Kilun and 53 behind Martin.
GC contenders:
1. Kilun 29.32
2. Ji at 6 seconds
3. Serpa at 8 seconds
4. Banihammed at 14 seconds
5. Osella at 21 seconds
Jiriakov had a fantastic recent result at the Middle East Tour showing that he can climb well at his best.
He is one second slower than Banihammad by the finish a decent effort from him.
A quick aside from the watch on the GC contenders as we see Bespalov look to crack a high stage placing..
He does a decent job just missing out on a provisional podium finish three seconds shy of Laidler's third place mark.
Back to our GC contenders watch with Ardlia Cano. The South American climbers do go well here in Malaysia.
He sets the same time as Jose Serpa some eight seconds short of the GC benchmark by Kilun.
GC contenders
1. Kilun 29.32
2. Ji at six seconds
3. Serpa at eight seconds
4. Ardila Cano at eight seconds
5. Banihammad at 14 seconds
6. Jiriakov at 15 seconds
7. Osella at 21 seconds
Haugard is coming down the finishing straight now and here is a good young time trial specialist.
Not quite able however to infiltrate the top five on the day with a time of 29.27.
Bososio will not challenge for the stage but should be noted as a GC contender.
He finishes with a time of 30.14, obviously way down on Tony Martin's 28.53 but today was about keeping himself in the race. He is 42 seconds down on that GC time of Kilun's so a bit or work needed to be done in that tough middle portion of the race.
Also on damage limitation is Alizadeh who like teammate Jiriakov had a great Middle East Tour.
He does a fair bit better than Bosisio with a time of 30.01, just 29 seconds down on Kilun's time (admittedly well down on Martin).
GC contenders
1. Kilun 29.32
2. Ji at 6
3. Serpa at 8
4. Ardila Cano at 8
5. Banihammad at 14
6. Jiriakov at 15
7. Osella at 21
8. Alizadeh at 29
9. Bosisio at 42
Looks a bit of a poor ride for Bosisio really, Vespa's mood will look to be improved by Ascani.
The Italian is a TT specialist and looking at the wind reading we actually have a little now. It's an out and back course so not sure whether it is a benefit of not but Ascani does produce a good time of 29.13 good enough for provisional third.
Several good GC contenders are out on course now with Dyachenko.
French mountain biker Peraud.
And definitely one of the best chrono GC riders in the continental tour Gustav Larsson.
That brief stretch of wind seems to have died as Dyachenko comes home with 29.43 - it's 11 seconds shy of Kilun. Kiluns teammate Peraud produces an excellent run though becoming the new GC contenders leader with a time of 29.10, 22 seconds better than Kilun and confirming his team leader status.
GC contenders
1. Peraud 29.10
2. Kilun at 22 seconds
3. Ji at 28 seconds
4. Serpa at 30 seconds
5. Ardila Cano at 30 seconds
------- Osella at 43 seconds Alizedah at 51 seconds Bosisio at 64 seconds
Peraud's time suggests a quick time is out there and Larsson is certainly a more accomplished chrono man usually. The Bouygues boys are beginning to look nervous, here comes Larsson.
It's a new best time! Massive celebrations in the Vattenfalls camp, bitter disappointment for the Bouygues boys.
It does put Larsson in a great GC position as well.
1. Larsson 28.50
2. Peraud at 20 seconds
3. Kilun at 42 seconds
4. Ji at 48 seconds
5. Serpa at 50 seconds
----------- Ardila Cano at 50 seconds Osella at 63 seconds Alizedah at 71 seconds Bosisio at 84 seconds
Not really any chrono men left, so whilst Vattenfalls begin their party, we watch Castano and also Iglinski.
oh and let's not forget Ratiy.
We really shouldn't forget the Ukrainian who could even spoil Larsson's little party!
Castano comes home is a really good time for him provisional 9th overall with 29.26, 36 seconds back on Larsson . Iglinski is a little slower with provisional 11th with a time of 29.29.
Larsson's eyes though are in Ratiy.
Nope not even close a bit of an anticlimax from Ratiy who can only set 29.26 to set the same time as Castano.
So Larsson has control over the race and will look to keep that jersey until Genting.
