Scott Sunderland wins 2017 Tour de Langkawi opener

Scott Sunderland started Isowhey Sports Swisswellness debut appearance at the Tour de Langkawi in perfect fashion as he sprinted to stage 1 success. The Australian got the better of Ryan Gibbons (Dimension Data) and Nicolas Marini (Nippo - Vini Fantini) on the long straight in Terengganu.

Having waited the better part of 15 years to secure an invite to Asia's premier stage race, the script for IsoWhey Sports SwissWellness could hardly have been better written with stage 1 victory and the first race leader's yellow jersey of the Tour de Langkawi.

Scott Sunderland showed a clean pair of heals in the bunch sprint finish, getting the better of Ryan Gibbons (Dimension Data) by a bike length. Italian Nicolas Marini (Nippo-Vini Fantini) rounded out the podium after a late crash disrupted the fast run into the Kuala Terengganu finale.

"I came in with good form, so it was great to have such strong team presence from IsoWhey Sports SwissWellness and to get the win. Today was a credit to them and it’s great to get the ball rolling," Sunderland said.

The win is Sunderland's first at HC level, further confirming his successful transition from keirin and kilo rider on the track to a bunch sprinter. With six sprint-friendly stages to come, Sunderland is hoping he can get on a roll and keep the winning momentum going.

"The objective of winning a stage gives you confidence and belief you can hopefully win another stage and continue on the tour with another stage. That would be fantastic. Obviously, hanging onto the yellow jersey as long as possible as I can would be amazing."

Sunderland leads Gibbons by four seconds overall but the Dimension Data neo-pro is confident of reversing the result on Thursday’s more challenging 208.1km stage from Jerteh to Gerik.

"I am able to get over smaller climbs so it was important to stay up there on GC and to be lying second now is really important moving forward," Gibbons told Cyclingnews. "Frankly, the other guys on the podium today aren't super good over a hill so hopefully it plays in my favour."

How it unfolded

With no late scratching's on the morning of the race, the 114-rider strong peloton signed on in Kuala Berang. Once the flag was dropped, riders were quick to try and initiate the day's main breakaway. A ten-strong group went clear following the first KOM of the day 25km into the 124.8km stage.

Local rider Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Terengganu Cycling Team) took maximum points on the first climb and repeated the trick at the second climb, to book an appointment to the podium post-stage. Following the second categorised climb, the peloton decided to up the tempo and start the chase of the breakaway.

As the gap continued to fall, (Keyi Look Cycling Team), Loh Sea Keong (Thailand) and Bakri Sofian Nabil Mohd (Sapura Cycling Team) attacked their breakaway companions to go clear at the head of the race. Nabil sat up soon after to leave Loh Sea Keong and Ayazbayev at the head of the race while Wilier-Selle Italia set the tempo back in the bunch for its sprinter Jakub Mareczko.

Once in Terengganu, the two riders led through the finish arch for the first of two laps with the peloton just a handful of seconds in arrears. Keong then attacked to go solo, earning the combativity prize, but with 15km it was all together and set up for the bunch sprint finish.

The sprints teams arranged their trains inside 10km to race, with plenty of jostling and repositioning on the fast and technical circuit. The second time through the finish saw several riders try and attack off the front of the peloton but Wilier-Selle Italia and Nippo-Vini Fantini quickly brought them back.

A crash at seven kilometres to go split the peloton into three large groups to complicate the finale but none of the sprint favourites hit the deck.

Once Sunderland decided to open up his sprint in the finale, he proved too fast and too strong in the finale with his rivals fighting over the minor placings. 

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