HTV Cup: Nguyen Tan Hoai makes it three on stage 6

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Race leader Nguyen Tan Hoai (Domesco Dong Thap) claimed his third victory out of six stages so far at the HTV Cup, as he outsprinted his six breakaway companions in Tam Ky, with the rest of the peloton finishing right behind them after 130km of racing. 

Nguyen Truong Tai (Ho Chi Minh-MM Mega Market) and points classification leader Nguyen Van Binh (Ho Chin Minh 2) rounded out the podium.

It was another finale contested at high speed on very wide roads, which is what Vietnamese pro cyclists are used to, but a major crash occurred on the descent of the Le pass, a seven-kilometre climb at a gradient of seven per cent. 

With 57km to go, 12 riders and two motorbikes went down on a tricky curve and ended up in the gutter. Stage 4 winner and famous sprinter Le Nguyet Minh was one of the victims, as well as stage 2 winner and best young rider Vo Thanh An, who was taken by helicopter to Ho Chi Minh City hospital for further examination and treatment.

Not being a UCI sanctioned race, the HTV Cup follows some specific rules applied in Vietnamese cycling, therefore the seven riders who crashed out will be allowed to continue racing and contest the stages, but they won’t appear on general classifications anymore.

"I will try my best to keep the yellow jersey but there are still 12 stages to go," noted Nguyen Tan Hoai. 

After one third of the race, the 32nd HTV Cup will observe a rest day on May 25, just like what was supposed to happen at the Giro d’Italia.