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YUSUP USURPS THE YELLOW; ADIQ STILL IN WHITE AND GREEN
9 May 2012
 KULIM
(9 May 2012) 每 The trick was not to attack too early in the Jelajah
Malaysia＊s longest stage this year and Yusup Abrekov of the Uzbekistan
Cycling team certainly got his strategy right after the more than
200km ride north to usurp into the tour leader yellow jersey.
The
27-year-old who did not speak much English, was all smile after
the victory when he said: ※it was a very good race, very good weather,
very good organisation.§
With
the local fans banking on the Terengganu Cycling team to protect
Shinichi Fukushima＊s hold of the yellow jersey after yesterday＊s
Stage One, there were just two breakaways on the day which began
with six riders taking off at the 20m marker after Simpang Pulai.
The
six riders were Alex Coutts (RTS Racing team), Mohd Al Ghazali Abdul
Hamid (Malaysia Development team), Azamat Tuarev (Uzbekistan Suren
team), Ahmad Fallanie Ali and Mohamad Razif Salleh (Kuala Lumpur)
as well as Armed Forces＊ Amirul Aswandey Amran.
Approaching
the first intermediate sprint of the day at Tasek (marker 33.6km),
the six riders were just 20seconds ahead of the peloton which led
to Ahmad Fallanie picking up five points over Mohamad Razif and
Al Ghazali.
Just
before reaching Bandar Baru Klebang (marker 40km), Ahmad Fallanie
dropped off as the breakaway then opened to more than two minutes
lead over the peloton as they approached the second sprint at Kati.
The second sprint was won by Ahmad Razif, who took it ahead of Al
Ghazali and Amirul.
Immediately,
Tuarev launched an attack which saw him moved 25seconds over the
four riders and more than two minutes over the peloton. Following
an accident in the bunch, Tuarev increased the gap over the four
chasers to more than a minute with the bunch closing in.
But
the peloton soon caught up with the breakaway group as they gear
up for the testing climb at KOM 1 of Bukit Sumpitan.
Dadi
Suryadi of Putra Perjuangan took the KOM to be followed by Yusup
Abrekov (Uzbekistan Suren team), RTS Racing＊s Jai Crawford, Tonton
Susanto (Putra Perjuangan), RTS＊s Lee Rodgers and Alex Coutts.
With
the ten points, Dadi took over the KOM red jersey from TSG＊s Saufi
Mat Senan.
※I
did not have a good preparation for this race but I spoke to Tonton
and the plan was for us to take the red jersey,§ added Dadi. ※We
will work even harder in the next few days to protect it.§
A new
breakaway group was formed as they descended Bukit Sumpitan with
Tonton Susanto, Dadi Suryadi of Putra Perjuangan, Yusup Abrekov
of Suren and Jai Crawford of RTS, Lee Rodgers (RTS) and Yasuharu
Najakima (Aisan).
The
third intermediate sprint in Selama was won by Aisan Yasuharu Nakajima
to be followed by Yusup, Jai Crawford and Dadi.
Rodgers
then dropped off at the last 3km as the peloton closed in on the
front pack but it was just a tad too late to stop the five riders
from crossing the line first.
※I
was second in 2009 and I did not want to be second again,§ said
stage winner Crawford. ※The Japanese rider (Yasuharu) was a good
sprinter but I managed to get on his wheel and I just took off.§
While
Yusup stole to the yellow, Malaysia＊s Muhammad Adiq Husainie Othman
still maintained his hold of the 100PLUS white (for the best ranked
Malaysian) and also the green jerseys (for the best sprinter).
※The
target for me is the 100PLUS white jersey as I feel that I can maintain
my position in the top ten of the GC,§ added Adiq. ※But the green
will be tough as there are several good sprinters in the race this
year.§
PODIUM
RESULTS 每 Stage Two
Stage winner 每 Jai Crawford (RTS Racing Team)
Yellow Jersey - Yusup Abrekov (Uzbekistan Suren Team)
Green jersey - Muhammad Adiq Husainie Othman (Malaysia Development)
Red jersey 每 Dadi Suryadi (Putra Perjuangan)
White jersey (Best Malaysian) - Muhammad Adiq Husainie Othman (Malaysia
Development)
Blue jersey (Best Asian) 每 Yusup Abrekov (Uzbekistan Suren Team) |
