HTV Cup: Vo Thanh An wins stage 2

Vo Thanh An from the team of Vinh Long in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta created a bit of a surprise as he managed to upset the peloton that was ready for a bunch gallop at the end of stage 2 in the 32rd HTV Cup but it was his second such coup after he won stage 6 from Da Nang to Quang Ngai in the same race one year ago. 

"I thank my coach and my team for the support on the road today," Vo declared. "Now that I have the yellow jersey, I’ll my best for keeping it in the next few days."

This time around, the 20-year-old resisted to the return of the peloton after breaking away with 40km to go in the longest stage (199km) from Vinh to Dong Hoi, including the 3km-long Ngang Pass that took its toll on the riders as much as the heat. Defending champion Javier Sardá Perez recorded 41°C on his computer.

Sardá’s team Thanh Phô Ho Chi Minh looked like having a grip on the race despite the race being very eventful from start to finish. A bunch-sprint finish was very likely but after losing stage 1 to Nguyen Tan Hoai from Domesco Dong Thap, their sprinter Lê Nguyệt Minh sustained a flat tyre with 3km to go, forcing Sardá to go for the sprint instead but he had to settle for third behind Nguyen Tan Hoai who was the fastest again.

Stage 3 (162km) will take the riders from Quang Binh to Hué, the last imperial capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).