Well after five days of fun for sprinters, they now will have to drag their muscular legs up the Genting climb. It's a slightly different ascent to the one used in the Langkawi race and finishes on a plateau about 5 km from the top of the climb and KOM prime.
Favourites for today are listed as Alarcon (IKEA), Samwel (Bimbo Nutella) and Carrara (Petronas) none of them have been seen in the race so far much and have been hiding in the peleton.
El-AL's Dor Dviri has been holding the KOM jersey since day one and will surely need to get to the first prime and gain more points to hold on. Otherwise someone else will be riding through the streets of Kaula Lumper in the polkadots tomorrow.
Stages like this usually attract a breakaway as teams try to set up something perhaps for some teamwork later on. So here is our move...
Todays BotD
The names then:
Didier (Bbox), Osterguard + Sabatini (Telenor), Priamo (Yamaha), Weiss (Mercedes), Serrano (Santander), Van Poppel (Unicredit), Sutton (Red Bull), Lalouette + Jalleys (Petronas).
Its an interesting one, Didier, Van Poppel, Serrano and Lalouette are decent enough climbers and could be some help for teammates later. Alternatively if they are given enough leeway could challenge for overall honours. Sabatini, Van Poppel and Sutton are the best sprinters here and take the sprint points between them. Not that it makes much difference all three are too far behind to make much of an impact there. The tension rises as we approach the foothills...
We are waiting for you sprinters!
With 45 to go the lead 10 have a nice lead of 5 minutes and 14 seconds. There is a small fairly tricky climb to negotiate before Genting proper and as we approach this point the peletons pace setters has a new leader...
Ikea preparing it for Alarcon
In the break the better climbers are beginning to make themselves known as five riders move clear.
break down to 5
Its Van Poppal one the front, Serrano (who takes the 1st KOM prime) in second, the two Petronas riders are here and so is Didier. Priamo of Yamaha also comes back just over the top. With 30km to go its 3.18 back to the bunch and reducing now with the steady pressure by IKEA.
22 km to go and just before the Genting climb starts an attack by one of the favourites.
Big move by Carrara
He has two guys up the road and has timed the move well, Ikea have temporarily moved away from pacing the peleton. Santander send Ortega to police the move and Yamaha's attacking mentality sends their best climber Montenegro with the move. Remember Yamaha and Santander have riders up the road too! With 16.3 km to go Carrara bridges to the remainder of the breakaway.
Looking good for Petronas
Ortega and Montenegro make it across as well making it a break of nine with 3 Petronas, 2 Yamaha and 2 santander riders. Its about 1 and a half minutes back to the peleton and panic stations are well and truly on. The pace is getting too high for most of the sprinters now including yellow jersey Eric Mohs.
Spinning gear in motion.
The pace at the front of a now 43 rider peleton is being set by the useful climbers of El Al.
Usual breakaway men EL Al now in a role reversal.
Clearly El Al are confident of a high placing for either Calzati or Raisen. With this pace the riders in the break knew they had better raise the pace. Its the two Santander riders Serrano and Ortega that cause a selection of five riders. Didier, Montenegro and Carrara are with them and as they glance down the road they are only too aware of the biggest threat in the peleton!
The Ikea climber has a large fan base in Malaysia
Santanders plans unravel though when Montenegro accelerates and only Carrara can match him...
Santander duo cannot live with Montenegros pace
However behind the peleton have been slowly and quietly picking off the seconds between themselves and the breakaway. Its Ikea and Mercedes that have done the damage, this is a bit of a blow for Carrara. But brilliantly he collects himself and attacks again...
Petronas man on a blinding day
This triggers a lot of moves off the front as clearly the Ikea pace setters have not got enough to control the moves. No worries for Alarcon he smoothly gets out of the saddle and barely breaking a sweat moves up to the wheel of Carrara.
Defending champ Carrara in a battle now
With 10 km to go till the finish (about 5 to go till top of climb) this is the situation. e1: Alarcon, Carrara e2: Stetina (Mercedes), Lopez Garcia (Santander), Perez Sanchez (UBS), Raisen (El-Al) and Diniz (Bbox) at 1.09
19 rider peleton at 1.35
As e2 goes under the 10km banner Peter Stetina makes a good move with Perez Sanchez and Lopez Garcia struggling in his wake...
American tries to bridge
Jose Alarcon seems to sense Stetina is coming across and puts in an acceleration that is hurting Carrara. Its 7.5 km to and is this the moment...
Ikea man has a couple of bike lengths.
Back behind its Bimbo Nutella with Vitor Rodrigues and Samwel who are reeling in the others including Raisen, Diniz, Perez Sanchez and as you can see here Lopez Garcia!
Samwel is moving well
The Bimbo Nutella man Samwel goes on the move quickly Lopez Garcia goes with the Kenyan as they move past a fading Carrara they make it past a visably flagging Alarcon. Have some riders misjudged this ascent? Changing fortunes on Genting
It would appear as if Stetina and Samwel want to fight for the mountain prize, they know the KOM overall crown awaits the winner...
Its close...
Stetina just edges it, Lopez Garcia brings Alarcon back to the two of them and everyone is stunned as the IKEA man gets a second wind on the flat run in. Where did this come from?
Stetina and Samwel having just busted a gut for the KOM prize are now not able to respond, Lopez Garcia puts in a little dig and is able to gap Stetina and Samwel. However the riders behind have regrouped and are coming back as well. They mop up Stetina and the Kenyan, however Lopez Garcia is holding them off in the final km.
Lopez Garcia will take second
But no denying that this man conned them all, Alarcon is all business when he comes over the line with a clever victory and now will of course be GC leader.
Genting king Alarcon
Samwel takes final time bonus in third just ahead of excellent teammate Vitor Rodrigues, Bimbo with two stage wins probably will not complain, at one stage though Samwel looked the strongest.
Bimbo duo 3rd and 4th
Perez Sanchez is fifth out of a group of 10 that finished on the same time as second place Lopez Garcia.
