Yuriy Metlushenko wins two stages in the Tour of Qinghai Lake
Yuriy Metlushenko took his second consecutive stage win in the 5th Stage of the 2010 Tour of Qinghai Lake. The 9th Edition of China’s biggest cycling race began with a 72km prelude, followed by the Tour’s official start in Xining. With 250,000 US dollars on the line, the organizers are expecting another successful year.
147 riders from 21 teams rode the criterium in Huzhu County and started the Tour. There were 2 pro-continental teams, 13 continental, 7 national, and 1 team from Hong Kong. Metlushenko rides for the Ukraine based Team Amore & Vita-Conad and was the first over the line in Wednesday’s rain-soaked Stage 5.
"I joined the race last year and I know that it always rains during the race,” said Metlushenko. “So I put on more clothes and the rain doesn't influence me."
This victory followed his retroactive win in Stage 4, after the original winner Ivan Stevic was disqualified from the Tour for raising his middle finger as he crossed the finish line. The gesture was intended for his team mechanic, who had been joking about his poor form. The Serbian rider was punished with a disqualification and a fine of 1,000 Swiss Francs.
“I just really wanted to apologize not only to the Chinese people but to all of the riders,” he said. “Those are the emotions, those are the moments, and they come out… I am an emotional guy, that’s how I race. It was totally wrong, I am aware of that now.”
The fifth stage was grueling for the riders, their muscles rigid in the 9 degrees celsius in the rain and 3,500m above sea level. Crashes were a regular part of the 120km ride from Qinghai Lake to Bird Island. Ten riders crashed down the mountain toward the stage finish, but no one was hurt.
Loborika's Rogina Radoslav has been wearing the yellow jersey five day in a row, and will wear it again in the 6th Stage. Kiel Rejinen of US-based team Jelly-Belly took control of the green jersey for the points classification, and Iranian contender Ghader Mizbani will wear the blue jersey as the best Asian rider for the sixth stage, as well as leading in the climbing classification.
The Tour of Qinghai Lake has been categorized by the Union Cycliste International as a 2.HC race. The 1,241km route is designed to give opportunity to all riders, with three hors-category climbs as well as 17 intermediate sprints over the course of nine stages. The highest point of the race is 3,870km above sea level, on Friday’s Stage 7 from Xihaizhen to Qilian.
The 150km penultimate stage to Qingshizuei will take the peloton over the 3,767 hors-category climb in the second half of the stage, and will prove to be much more decisive to the final result.
The Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling Team will be the one to watch out for. The team is led by the reigning Tour champion Andrey Mizorov and Ghader Mizbani, who leads in the climbing classification and in the Asian riders’ classification. Team Tabriz won this year’s Tour of Langkawi, where German team member Tobias Erler led the race for three days.
Mitja Mahoric, of the Slovenian National Team, finished third place last year, one minute behind Mizorov, and again targets the podium, which is also within reach of teammate Matej Stare. Chinese contender Shengjun Wu won the first stage of last year’s Tour ahead of Mizorov, benefitting from his home soil.
Metlushenko, already with two stage wins, is a champion sprinter who won last year’s Stage 6 from Bird Island to Xihaizhen, the same route as this year. The Ukrainian can easily make three consecutive stage wins, and should put up a fight for the green jersey in the highest race in the world.
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