Astana Qazaqstan stagaire surpasses all expectation, decimating his sprinting rivals and riding to a race-redeeming win for the WorldTeam
Astana Qazaqstan’s Ivan Smirnov, a rider who only signed to the squad as a stagaire in August, claimed a surprise victory on the final day of this year’s XDS Cup Tour of Hainan. Finishing in Sanya, the 200km+ day was decided in another bunch sprint, despite yet more punishing hills for the peloton to conquer.
The Russian rider followed the wheels of the Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team lead-out train inside the final kilometre, sitting on the wheel of Martin Laas and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. That chance came at 200m to go, at which point the 25-year-old reared his tall frame out of the saddle and powered over the line in first place. Meanwhile, Timothy Dupont (Tarteletto-Isorex) placed second to makes it four top-four results without a victory here in China, and VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané’s Mattia Pinazzi claimed thid place over the line.
Earlier in the stage, many breakaways tried but failed to make their mark, all suffering from the determination in the peloton to produce a bunch sprint and defend various positions in the general classification.
Speaking of the GC, Aaron Gate (Burgos-BH) enjoyed a largely stress-free final day to pick up his second stage race victory in a row in Asia. The Trans-Himalaya Cycling Race champion can now count the XDS Cup Tour of Hainan amongst his palmarès, something that cannot be said for Wilmar Paredes. The Team Medellín-EDM Colombian began the day in second but sacrificed his top-10 chances to chase the polka dot jersey. At this, he was success, claiming the King of the Mountains classification overall.
Smirnov’s team capped off an enjoyable final day by moving Henok Mulubrhan (Astana Qazaqstan) up from third to second in the final podium, as Filippo Magli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané), Jordi López (Burgos-BH) and Cristen Realeamu (Li Ning Star) rounded out the top five in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
The blue jersey of the Best-placed Asian rider remained on the shoulders of Kuicheng Wang (Bodywrap) after the final day, and race winner Gate also leaves Hainan with the green jersey as winner of the points classification. In the final stage, Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané) was awarded as the Most Aggressive Rider of the Day.
Burgos-BH enact their control as breakaways stutter
Saturday morning brought the start of the fifth and final stage of this year’s XDS Cup Tour of Hainan, with 203.4km from Changiang to Sanya on the menu. After a brief reprieve on stage 4, the peloton was bathed by the scorching sun as the flag dropped, with the thermometer reading 31 degrees Celsius. Stage 5 was to be the longest of this year’s race.
There was a heavy sense of anticipation within the paddock before the race got underway, such is the pressure that the final day brings. Several riders attacked straight from the gun, including Jon Agirre (Equipo Kern Pharma), Quinten De Graeve (Novo Nordisk), Boris Clark (St George Continental Cycling Team), Timothy Dupont and Alex Vandenbulcke (both Tarteletto-Isorex). Though their attack would soon be doomed and so would many others, all of whom fell foul of what the peloton deemed acceptable.
With the fifth stage being the final day, there was a lot at stake. Burgos-BH, in particular, played a decisive role in who would be allowed up the road. The Spanish team were, of course, defending the race lead of Aaron Gate, who had taken back-to-back victories on stages 3 and 4. There was no lack of willing attackers but with the likes of the race leaders Burgos-BH, and sprint-hopefuls VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané and Corratec-Vini Fantini determined to maintain a stranglehold over the race, it was a breathless first hour of racing.
Try as they might, teams such as Novo Nordisk, St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 and Roojai Insurance, among others, were unable to land the move that stuck. Within the first hour of racing, the peloton averaged 48km/h, indicating how difficult the racing had been up to that point. Like a dog chasing a balloon on a windy day, the provocateurs within the peloton would go back and forth from prospective breakaways to within the pack, not able to land a decisive move before the first categorised climb of the day.
Wilmar Paredes seals the polka dot jersey
After 78km, the 6.2% slopes of the Yulong Mountain sorted out the contenders from the chancers, bringing the first points of the day in the King of the Mountains classification. Wilmar Paredes of Team Medellín-EPM claimed maximum points in first place, as his bid on the red polka dot jersey continued, with Agirre, Merhawi Kudus (Terengganu Cycling Team), Henok Mulueberhan and Ivan Smirnov (both Astana Qazaqstan) taking second, third and fourth place, respectively.
Mulueberhan was in a similar mood at the first intermediate sprint, coming across the line in first to take important bonus seconds for his general classification ambitions. Falling after 88km in Jiangbian Village China Post, the first intermediate sprint saw VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané teammates Filippo Magli and Enrico Zanoncello take second and third place between them.
Over the next 17km before the second categorised climb, a four-man breakaway burst free of the bunch and established a handy gap to those behind. Their advantage was 58 seconds after 100km of racing, with Jordi López (Burgos-BH), Alessandro Tonelli (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané), Morné Van Niekerk (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) and Gianni Marchand (Tarteletto-Isorex) forming the union. At the top of the climb, López led Marchand, Tonelli and Van Niekerk across the KOM point.
With this result, Paredes was confirmed as the winner of the King of the Mountains classification, so long as he finished the day’s stage.
The four-man breakaway continued their march to Sanya over the next 20km, with Van Niekerk beating López and Marchand to the second intermediate sprint, but their escapades would not last much longer. As the race ticked under 70km to ride, this group was caught and soon thereafter, another four-man breakaway broke free. This time around, Equipo Kern Pharma were represented by Diego Uriarte, VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané by Manuele Tarozzi, and the pair were joined by Davide Baldaccini (Corratec-Vini Fantani) and Brayan Sánchez (Team Medellín-EPM).
Little by little, the breakaway established their advantage and with 50km to go, the group held a gap of 50 seconds over the bunch. The next feature on the road would be the S314 climb with 40km to race. Averaging 4.2% for 2.2km, the Category 3 ascent would be the final test of this year’s race and beyond its summit, only a quick dash to the line in Sanya would remain.
Magical first victory for Ivan Smirnov of Astana Qazaqstan
Italy’s Tarozzi was the first rider to cross the summit of the last climb, with his breakaway taking a 56-second gap into the descent. Behind Tarozzi, Baldaccini placed second, Sánchez third and Uriarte fourth. This breakaway appeared to be a masterstroke from VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané and Corratec-Vini Fantini, both of whom were represented up the road and therefore alleviated of the responsibility to control the peloton for a bunch sprint. Instead, the two teams could lay the burden at the door of Burgos-BH and Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team.
There was a real stubbornness about the breakaway, who were determined to squeeze every last drop out of this year’s race. The gap remained between 35-40 seconds for much of the finale, only dipping below that margin within the last 20km. At this point, Burgos-BH and Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team had managed to enlist the support of Tarteletto-Isorex, who were looking to improve on yesterday’s third-placed finish for Dupont. This extra firepower aided the peloton’s pursuit and with 6km remaining, the men out front were caught.
From there, all eyes were on the sprint and the yellow jersey of Gate. In the end, the Kiwi did not contest the win but did roll comfortably over the line to win the general classification. Meanwhile, Astana Qazaqstan gained success at last by launching Ivan Smirnov to an impressive first victory in his team’s colours. Dupont was forced to accept his place on podium once again, this time in second place, whilst Mattia Pinazzi of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané claimed third.
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