Yet another sprint stage and still 4 to come in total. So far Guillen was the most consistent sprinter taking two wins. Meyer and Awang the only riders to beat him in a sprint finish here. So except for those three we have a long list of top sprinters looking to grab a win as well: Forero Vingerling Manarelli Vanderaerden
to name just the best of the rest.
3 riders in todays breakaway: Manfredi Verona Hatsuyama
Clearly they hope for a chance when the sprinters start to become tired with all their efforts day for day.
But right now it`s not looking this way. ONCE, Fletcher, Alpina and TomTom in front of the peloton chasing the breakaway. Also Siam right behind controlling the area around race leader Rodrigues.
The Tour de Langkawi is a sprinter fest and everything but a sprint finish here would be surprising to be honest with most of the very best CT sprinters in the field.
Verona had already 12 mountain points and takes 6 more.
That said it`s already the last KoM of the race as the 3 upcoming stages are all pan flat. So if nothing happens, Losada will win the jersey for Bonsucro ahead of Masuda and Rodrigues. Verona at least climbs up to the shared 7th.
Last sprint and the gap is down to 1'40 with a bit less than 30km to go.
Still they were fighting a lot against the big peloton and so they make it until the 5km mark before the pace behind was too fast and they get caught.
Today though forming trains was not much influenced by the late catch and so we have the 4 usual trains of ONCE, TomTom, Fletcher and Alpina with Uugunbayar being somewhere in the middle of everything.
Stenuit
Eefting
Vingerling
Herrada
Uugunbayar
Rodriguez Parra
Cano
Haller
Arango
Guillen
Vanderaerden
Forero
Awang
Meyer
Sinner
Clavero
Dall'Antonia
Richeze
Manarelli
Opie
-
-
Ilesic
Gajek
Eefting goes into the lead with Vingerling just behind. But also Vanderaerden is in front now taking over for Fletcher.
Arango seems to struggle a bit on the right while Guillen lost Cano`s wheel.
1km and Eefting still in front. Meyer and Uugunbayar right behind.
On the left also Arango found the speed to bring Forero further to the front while Vanderaerden/Meyer not working as you would expect.
Guillen and Awang look beaten today while sprinters like Richeze, Sinner or Clavero are still doing fine.
Only 600m left. So perfect time for Vingerling to go into the wind. Also Forero is doing so while Richeze goes past Meyer.
Vingerling against Forero it seems. Or can one of the two Fletcher riders or Richeze still make it to them?
Close but in the end Vingerling takes his first win here after two 2nd places.
Forero with a decent result as well even though the win was possible today.
Behind them the Fletcher jerseys of Meyer this time beating Vanderaerden.
Arango and Eefting after their huge leadouts already as next still ahead of Guillen, Richeze, Awang and Manarelli.
Clavero as 11th, Sinner as 13th and Uugunbayar as 15th couldn`t keep the high pace until the end.
