Yasuharu Nakajima wins 4th stage and Amir Zargari takes overall standing in 2011 Tour of Singkarak
Asian Racing team’s Yasuharu Nakajima showed his brilliant performance and won the mass sprint of fourth stage of 2011 Tour of Singkarak on Thursday, June 9. Azad University team's rider, Amir Zargari, retained his overall leader’s yellow jersey.
The race started in Bukittinggi and ended in Lembah Harau. The Japanese road racing cyclist, Nakajima took a total of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 25 seconds to cover a distance of 59 kilometres.
With 43.8 kilometres to go, a group of four riders made their first breakaway in the stage, which included Yasuharu Nakajima (Aisan Racing), King Lok Cheung (Hong Kong-China), Logan Calder (Plan B Racing) and Abbas Saeidi Tanha (Azad University).
Abbas Saeidi Tanha made the first attack and took the lead from the peloton. However, King Lok Cheung maintained his pace and joined the leading group, but Tanha grabbed second spot and King finished third with the same timing of Yasuharu.
The Australian rider Logan Calder grabbed the fourth spot with a difference of 6 seconds, while the race leader, Amir, was in 21st place.
After winning the stage, Nakajima said, “There were four of us in the leading group and aside from [Tanha], whose team is in the overall lead, we formed good team work, Even though I cooperated with two other riders [in the leading group], I made my call
to fight all the way when we got close to the finish line.”
Iranian rider, Amir, retained his overall lead with a timing of 8 hours, 21 minutes and 55 seconds and his team-mate, Rahim Emami, was in the second spot with 6 seconds behind Amir.
Golakhour Pourseyedi finished third with a difference of 1 minute and 48 seconds, while the stage winner Yasuharu finished in the 10th spot with 7 minutes and 24 seconds adrift.
Amir Zargari said, “I won last year’s Stage 5, although I faced strong opponents from Tabriz [Petrochemical Cycling Team from Iran]. Hopefully, I can win again,”
Chan-Jae Jang of Terengganu Pro-Asia cycling still retained his green jersey with 8 points, ahead of Herwin Jaya and Yasuharu.
The fifth stage will start in Payakumbuh and end in Sawahlunto. All the riders will cover a distance of 79 kilometres.
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