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Saturn’s O’Neill takes Stage 1 in Malaysia

By Jason Sumner, VeloNews Associate Editor
Published: Jan. 30, 2003
O'Neill accepts the winner's trophy.
O'Neill accepts the winner's trophy.
Photo: Jason Sumner

In his first race as a member of the American Saturn squad, Australian Nathan O’Neill showed his new employer what a good hire they’d made. O’Neill was the only rider to post a sub-12-minute time, winning the opening stage of the 2003 Tour de Langkawi on Langkawi Island in Malaysia Friday.

O’Neill clocked an 11:53 around the rolling 9.5km time trial course, 23 seconds faster than second-place finisher Roland Green (Canadian National). Third place went to fellow Saturn rider Tom Danielson, with Canadian teammate Eric Wohlberg one place back in fourth. All told four Canadians placed in the top 13, with Gord Fraser and Seamus McGrath (both Canadian National) taking eighth and ninth, and Peter Wedge (Canadian National) in 13th.

Defending Tour de Langkawi champion Hernan Dario Munoz (Columbia-Selle Italia) ended up sixth, at 0:38, while pre-race favorite Paolo Lanfranchi (Ceremiche-Panaria Fiorda) was 19th at 0:57.

Lanfranchi warms up for his turn in the time trial.
Lanfranchi warms up for his turn in the time trial.
Photo: Jason Sumner

“Things look pretty good, at least for the next few days,” O’Neill said at the post-race press conference. “But if the lead should slip away we’ve got a strong team with guys that can tear some legs off come Genting.”

The only downfall of O’Neill’s immediate success is that his team will now be forced to defend the leader’s jersey in the ensuing days, burning precious energy early in the race.

“We’ve just got to be smart,” O’Neill conceded. “There’s going to be other teams that want to win the flat stages, so they may want to help us keep things together. But it’s definitely harder. We won’t be able to just sit back.”

O’Neill’s effort here was no surprise. A year ago he finished second behind the red-hot Robbie Hunter, and O’Neill won the TDL TT in 2001.

The time trial course started in the small town of Kuah, then made a hard right for the first of three small climbs. There was little time to rest after the first ascent, with only a small flat section separating it from the second climb. A quick descent followed, allowing riders to carry good speed into the final climb. American Chris Horner (Saturn) said he only dropped out of his big chainring for the first climb.

Horner is one of four former TDL winners here this year, and though he says his form is still coming around, he thinks he can be a factor as the days go by.

“I’m really under trained at the moment,” admitted Horner, who finished 23rd at 1:02. “But I think things will start clicking midway through. The season back in the States is still a ways off, so I only have about two weeks in my legs right now.”

All the riders benefited from a reasonably cool day. A thin cloud cover and light breeze kept the temperature down, meaning the searing heat that is so typical of the tropical country didn’t play a major factor.

The 10-day, 1343.5 km race continues Saturday with a flat 148.3km run from Kangar to Butterworth.

NORTH AMERICAN RECAP
Outside the top 13, American Tim Johnson (Saturn) was the next highest placed rider, coming across in 15th, at 0:51. Horner was 23rd, followed by Phil Zajicek (Saturn), 24th at 1:02. The remaining riders were Cory Lange (53rd at 1:23), Charles Dionne (54th at 1:24), Bruno Langlois (76th at 1:39), and Alex Lavallee (99th at 1:56).

MOUNTAIN MEN
The crop of current and former mountain bikers fared extremely well on the first day of the TDL, with two-time defending cross-country world champion Green leading the way in second.

“This was my first big effort in a while,” Green said after taking the lead early in the day. “I used my little ring for the first hill because I didn’t want to over gear. There was so much driving after that I didn’t want to bog the legs down.”

Stage 2 profile
Stage 2 profile

Danielson started his racing career on fat tires, while McGrath and Wedge still focus primarily on mountain biking.

Danielson’s effort was especially impressive, considering the 24-year-old is best known for his climbing skills. “This really wasn’t a good course for me,” he said. “I’m pretty surprised. Roland has always been one of my idols, so to come within a second of him is pretty exciting.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Stage 2
Kangar – Butterworth:148.3 km
Kangar – Butterworth: 148.3 km
The whole entourage moves across to Peninsular Malaysia in military fashion immediately after the time trial to prepare for stage 2. The trip will be done via ferry, with the riders taking off first on the 30km, 45-minute crossing of the Strait of Melaka. Saturday’s stage starts in Kangar and is a completely flat run down the western seaboard to Butterworth. What is interesting here is that for the first time in Tour de Langkawi history, riders will have to complete 3 circuits of an 8km circuit before the finish in Butterworth.

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