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Langkawi opener: And the winner is...
Penang-Taiping (112km)
Spectators at the finish of the Tour de Langkawi’s flat stage 1 from Penang to Taiping, Malaysia, were surprised to see the peloton roll across the line intact without a contested sprint.
What initially appeared to be a rider protest proved to be more a matter of survival after local police marshals errantly waived traffic onto the course following the first of two 8km closing circuits.
“[Health Net] had the first three guys coming into a turn [on the second circuit] and we almost went into the cars,” said Health Net’s Mike Sayers, “and I think everyone just realized that’s not racing, that’s not sport. Some Italian guy threw up his arms and just said, ‘Nope,’ and everyone sat up.”
No riders were hurt during the mix-up; the stage was neutralized and the entire peloton was given the same finishing time.
“The police opened the circuit on the second time around and thought it was over,” said Tour de Langkawi race director Pat McQuaid. “Somebody somewhere made a mistake and called it open, and it was fairly chaotic out there with the traffic moving, and the riders decided they couldn’t race in those conditions so they toured around to the finish, which was the logical thing to do.”
Reaction to the yet-to-be identified course marshal’s gaffe ranged from embarrassment to relief, as most involved recognized the situation could have been much more drastic.
“The first indication I had that something was wrong was a huge row of mopeds on the right, and I just about stacked,” said Health Net’s John Lieswyn. “There was a big pothole, and a bunch of riders came together at once because they were being squeezed by the mopeds while we were still at full-tilt.”
A brief suggestion of salvaging the stage with an additional lap was rebuffed due to the existing traffic on the course.
“It was simple human error out there on the circuit,” explained race controller Alan Rushton. “Somebody didn’t read their book and opened the gate. The riders even offered to ride another lap to sort it out, but by that time the roads were totally open.”
One bunch was happy with the outcome, however: the Philippines’ first-ever pro cycling team, the new Division 3 Pagcor-Casino Filipino squad, which walked away with the leader’s yellow jersey and the red-and-blue jersey of top Asian rider in its first-ever race.
After a lone rider — Zhu Yonbiao of the Chinese National squad — went clear 10km in the 112km race, Pagcor’s Merculio Ramos joined him 4km later for a near 100km two-man breakaway. Their escape reached a maximum gap of over five minutes before coming down rapidly as the peloton approached Taiping, led by the sprinters’ teams of Lampre (riding for Brazilian Luciano Pagliarini), Chocolade Jacques (Jans Koerts) and Panaria (Graeme Brown). The break’s lead of 4:31 at the 61.2km second intermediate sprint had come down to 2:40 at the third and final sprint at 87.9km.
Ramos took both the second and third of the day’s three intermediate sprints, landing him what would have been six seconds in time bonuses had the stage not been neutralized. Yonbiao was awarded the blue sprinter’s jersey, while Ramos’s teammate Lloyd Lucien Reynante — who spent much of the day in a three-man chase group with Malaysia National’s Hamad Mohd Mahazar and Musa Musari — was given the red-and-blue jersey of top Asian rider.
The decision to nullify the intermediate sprints was made by the event’s College of Commissaires due to the fact that by the time traffic had been allowed onto the course, Ramos and Yonbiao had been reeled in by the peloton. In an effort to be fair, Ramos was awarded the leader’s jersey but will start Saturday’s stage at the same position on the general classification as the rest of the peloton. It will be the first time an Asian rider has worn the leader’s jersey at a major tour.
Race director McQuaid explained, “Yes, the riders earned the time bonuses while the stage was live, but they were caught on the first lap of the closing circuit. The time bonuses [three seconds for first, two for second, one for third] they’d earned would not have been enough to keep either of them in the yellow jersey versus the 10 seconds in bonuses awarded to the winner.”
Rushton added that while the results reflect a nullified stage, full prize money on the day would be awarded the jersey winners.
“It’s already been a good race for us,” said Pagcor-Casino Filipino team director Ric Rodriguez. “We’re wearing the yellow jersey and the top Asian team jersey. Everyone in the Philippines will be happy.”
Rodriguez added that his team won’t attempt to defend the leader’s jersey but will instead focus on the top Asian team category.
A look ahead - Stage 2
The first test for riders where climbers come to the fore. This first mountain stage from Ipoh to Tanah Rata will take riders to some interesting towns namely Pusing, Batu Gajah, Mambang DiAwan, Ayer Kuning, Tapah and Ringlet. It's too early to arrive to any conclusion, but the gentle and long climb to Tanah Rata will surely give an indication as to who might eventually arrive in Kuala Lumpur in Yellow. Hong Kong rider Wong Kam Po made history when he won the stage in Cameron Highlands in 2000.
