Back-to-back wins for Coquard

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Bryan Coquard (Europcar) bagged his second stage in as many days after a perfect kick to the line in the final of Stage 9 at Tour de Langkawi. The neo-pro Coquard relegated stage winner Francesco Chicchi (Vini Fantini – Selle Italia) into second-place while Orica GreenEdge did what it could with a reduced three-man team to claim third with Allan Davis.

Absent from the sprint was points jersey wearer Andrea Guardini (Astana) who, like a number of others in the peloton had been struck down with illness. It is thought a number of the riders who failed to sign on were affected by suspected food poisoning from the night prior to the stage.

Coquard's second win in brings the young Frenchman's 2013 victory tally to four after taking two wins at Etoile de Bessèges shortly before travelling to the 2.HC race in Malaysia. The bunch sprint on the penultimate stage signalled another day ticked-off for race leader Julián Arredondo (Team Nippo – De Rosa) who now looks set to secure the overall victory tomorrow afternoon.

"It's very good, it's amazing and just very happy of team Europcar," said Coquard at the finish.

A crash inside the final kilometre meant a number of riders were caught out and with poor position leading into the final straight, could do little to overcome the now two-time stage winner.

"There was a crash, I was lucky to avoid it and after Kevin Reza launched me perfect into third position for the sprint. I was behind [Graeme] Brown, [Allan] Davis and then me. At 200m I opened up my sprint, it's very good [to win here]," said Coquard.

The first year professional who won silver at the London Games for the omnium says his track background had a lot to do with his ability to beat riders with more experience than himself.

"The track is a better school for sprinters I think because I am very [skilled] on the bike," he added.

Race leader Arredondo will only need to finish in the bunch in tomorrow's stage in what is expected to be another mass sprint. The overall victory at Langkawi would be Arredondo's biggest victory to date.

"I'm very happy, I hope for a bunch sprint finish tomorrow, again. That would confirm me as the champion of the Tour de Langkawi," said Arredondo.

Another attempt to break the sprinters stranglehold

It was a quieter start to the penultimate stage at Tour de Langkawi with six riders failing to sign on this morning after succumbing to a stomach ailment that appeared to spread throughout the bunch.

The rain would once again be treating the bunch to showers along the 123.6km route from Pasir Puteh to Kuala Berang but the rapid pace and relatively short stage meant it wouldn't be endured for long.

Three intermediate sprints were on offer, truncated within the opening hours of the stage and with one Catergory 4 climb toward the end of the stage it looked almost certain that Meiyin Wang would take the KoM classification jersey back home.

Chicchi clearly had his sights on the points jersey and took the first intermediate sprint at 13.1km with his three teammates following him behind to take the majority of points on offer.

The stage was later dominated by a two-man breakaway but it took nearly an hour before the bunch finally relinquished the duo into the distance.

Yilin Liu (Hengxiang Cycling Team) made his way into the escape, primarily to protect his teammate's lead in the KoM classification however, with just one Cat 4 climb on offer, Wang simply needs to finish tomorrow's stage to win the climbers jersey. Liu was joined by Endra Wijaya (Indonesia National Team) and the two were off.

"We decided that if someone could take the points, then they could go," said KoM leader Wang. "That was I can be relaxed in the bunch tomorrow."

The leading two were setting a fast pace out front with an average of 50km/h for the first hour of racing but the Vini Fantini squad would only allow them a little over two minutes advantage throughout the day.

Liu and Wijaya shared the intermediate sprints with Chicchi taking another two at the second sprint point before Guardini finally came out and took those two points back at the final interemdiate. Guardini was clearly not enjoying the day with his team instructed not to assist with the chase.

Liu left his breakaway partner shorltly after takign the maximum points atop the Cat 4 climb at 77.4km and insisted with his lone escape until inside the final 20km when he was eventually caught.

At the finish it was Coquard who got the better of his sprint rivals, having time to look behind to check the position of the bunch before throwing his hands in the air.

Tomorrow marks the final stage of Langkawi but with the two best-placed riders in the sprint classification separated by just five points, Guardini will hope to recover ahead of the final stage around Kuala Terengganu.

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