The third stage of the Tour de Langkawi was contested on the only mountain stage of the tournament. 21-year-old Max Poole (GB, DSM Firmenich Post NL) took the sprint victory to move into the overall lead, while JCL Team Ukyo’s Pezenti finished third in his section.
Local fans wearing ethnic costumes cheering photo: PETRONASLTdL
Tour de Langkawi 2024 3rd stage course profile PETRONASLTdL
The Petronas Tour de Langkawi (UCI2.Pro), which features three world teams as well as Japan’s JCL Team Ukyo and Aisan Kogyo Racing, has entered its third day. The final stage is the queen stage, which climbs a first-class mountain and a super-class mountain in quick succession. From the next day onwards, 127 competitors faced off in a battle that would almost decide the overall winner, as the race would be fought on flat stages until the end.
Immediately after the actual start of the 170.3km race, three riders, including Peerapore Chaukchankwan (Thai National Team), ran away. The main group chasing it is Yuhi Tomome (EF Education Easy Post) and DSM Firmenich Post NL. The time difference, which had widened to just under 7 minutes at 1:00, remained at around 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
Proton was led by DSM Firmenich Post NL and EF Education Easy Post photo:PETRONASLTdL
The high pace maintained by EF, such as Tomome, absorbed the runaway at the remaining 66km mark. In the first-class mountain Kampung Radja (distance 19.1km/average 3.6%), Gleb Silitsa (Russia, Astana Kazakhstan), who wears the overall leader jersey, was delayed, and Mario Aparicio (Spain, Burgos BH) jumped out with 39km remaining. With a lead of 55 seconds, Aparicio passed Kampung Raja first and entered the super-class mountain Brinchang (distance 8.2km/average 5.2%).
However, with 13km to go, Aparicio was caught by the peloton, and Simon Kerr (UK) used high-speed towing for Sean Quinn (USA, EF Education Easy Post) to narrow down the group. Jorge Gutierrez (Spain, Equipo Cologne Farma)’s attack failed, and one of the favorites to win, Max Poole (GB, DSM Firmenich Post NL), launched an attack. Astana Kazakstan’s Harold López (Ecuador) and Anton Charm (Denmark) followed suit, putting the three of them at the front of the race.
Entering the mountains, the EF Education Easy Post sets a high pace photo: PETRONASLTdL
Poole will pass the super mountain at the top, aiming for the finish at the end of the downhill and flat road. However, with 3km remaining, JCL Team Ukyo’s Thomas Pesenti and Giopanni Carboni (both from Italy) caught up with them, and the battle became a sprint between 11 riders.
Unai Iribar (Spain, Equipo Cologne Farma) started the sprint first, with Poole jumping out from behind to take the lead. Pezenti, who was slow to step in, was in hot pursuit, but Poole was able to hold off Lopez and claim the victory.
Max Poole (UK, DSM Firmenich Post NL) won the sprint despite a failed attack. Photo: PETRONASLTdL
“I started an early sprint from a good slipstream. I had been doing good sprints in the past few months, so I believed in myself and took the plunge. I would like to thank my teammates for showing me a great run.” Poole said after snatching the victory.
Pool finished third three times and second once in this year’s Vuelta a España, but was unable to win. This puts him in the overall lead, and since the next day will be a series of flat stages, barring any trouble, he will have secured the overall victory.
Manabu Ishibashi (JCL Team Ukyo) also finished on the podium as the best Asian rider as he finished 24th on the stage, the highest finish by an Asian rider.
Max Poole (UK, DSM Firmenich Post NL) took first place overall photo: PETRONASLTdL
Manabu Ishibashi (JCL Team Ukyo) finished 24th in the section, the highest place among Asians photo: PETRONASLTdL
