Ever placed Benjamin Giraud finally caps it off
Sulzberger retains lead with one criterium to go
While mountain bikers are usually known for their transformation as great climbers on the road, Frenchman Benjamin Giraud of La Pomme-Marseille has set an exception to the rule as he became an excellent sprinter but it wasn't a standard victory with just a bunch sprint finish that he claimed at the end of stage 6 in the Tour of Taiwan. Firstly, he was the first attacker of the day, from km 3 to 10, together with Champion System's Mart Ojavee. Secondly, he survived a long and hard climb to be able to come across to the 22 leaders in the finale. Thirdly, he could only count on one team-mate, South Africa's Chris Jennings who had ridden aggressively earlier on, to face the head wind and bring him back onto the attackers alongside the Taiwan Strait ahead of a bunch gallop.
"I didn't panic", Giraud told Cyclingnews after the finish. "As we passed the finishing road the other way round during the stage, I knew what the last 200 metres were like, and it was exactly to my taste as I prefer slightly uphill finishes. In the sprint, I always kept the situation under my control with an advantage of two length of a bike. I'm delighted. This is my first win at category 1 level. Some people might disregard it as it is a race in Asia but the Tour de Taiwan is a very nice race with an unbelievable battle every day from km 0 till the end. It's important for my team to win here on our Taiwanese bikes CKT. I know it's not China here but last year, in China, I finished seven times in the top 3 and nineteen times in the top 10 at the three races I took part in: Tour of Qinghai Lake, Tour of Hainan, Tour of Taihu Lake. It was time for me to win. It brings a totally different feeling to be a winner."
His continental team La Pomme-Marseille was continuously at the front with Thomas Vaubourzeix riding away from the bunch for fifty kilometers, initially with Joe Cooper (Huon-Genesys), Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Aisan), Dennis van Niekerk (MTN-Qhubeka) and Takero Terasaki (Japan) and later with counter attacker Liu Hao (Max Success) who missed a curve in a downhill and made his way back on the road through some cars parked at an intersection.
Full action went on in the in the main climb of the day, Bei Route 28, when the Champion System team sent on form Malaysian Adiq Hussainie to the front to capture the points at the top and therefore secure Feng Chun Kai's polka dot jersey for good. Hong Kong's Choi Ki Ho tried to go away but was followed closely by Saufi Mat Senan of Terengganu who is his biggest rival for the best Asian rider competition. The MTN-Qhubeka riders put race leader Sulzberger in difficulty. A group of 22 leaders was eventually formed in the downhill: Bradley White (Unitedhealthcare), Morten Sandvik (Froy-Bianchi), Sulzberger and Robbie Hucker (Drapac), Nathan Earle, Jai Crawford and Anthony Giacoppo (Huon-Genesys), Yuzuru Suzuki (Shimano), Benjamin Sydlik (Nutrixxion), Masakazu Ito (Aisan), Van Niekerk, Louis Meintjes and Tsgabu Grmay (MTN-Qhubeka), Liu and Huang En (Max Success), Kirill Pozdnyakov (Baku) and Liam Holohan (Madison), Hussainie, Choi, Saufi, Jennings and Vaubourzeix.
Jennings and Holohan went away before the group got reined in. They surrendered with 10km to go. From 5 to 3km to go, there was a duo at the front with stage 3 winner Shahrul Mat Amin who stuck to the wheel of Choi who was trying to regain the lead of the best Asian classification from his team-mate and best friend Saufi. This fight for the blue jersey is expected to go during the final criterium in Taipei on Sunday morning, so is the competition for the third place overall between Meintjes and Pozdnyakov.
Sulzberger is aware that another Drapac rider, Rhys Pollock, who led and eventually won the Tour de Taiwan last year, sustained a crash during the final stage. "I hope not to do that, I've had a lot of bad luck in my career already", said the Tasmanian. "I'm confident to win this race. The hardest part was today when I got isolated for a little while."
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Benjamin Giraud (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille | 2:37:51 |
2 | Grischa Janorschke (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | |
3 | Adiq Othman (Mas) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
4 | Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | |
5 | Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | |
6 | Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | |
7 | Mohd Nur Rizuan Zainal (Mas) Malaysia National Team | |
8 | Benjamin Edmüller (Ger) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | |
9 | Takero Terasaki (Jpn) Japan National Team | |
10 | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | |
11 | Sai-Udomsin Phuchong (Tha) Thailand National Team | |
12 | Boonratanathanakorn Thurakit (Tha) Thailand National Team | |
13 | Petr Lechner (Cze) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | |
14 | Ryoma Nonaka (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | |
15 | Hao Liu (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | |
16 | Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) MTN Qhubeka | |
17 | Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | |
18 | Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | |
19 | Jai Crawford (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | |
20 | Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | |
21 | Sigurd Nesset (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | |
22 | Kirill Pozdnyakov (Rus) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | |
23 | Morten Sandvik (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | |
24 | King Lok Cheung (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
25 | Sirironnachai Sarawut (Tha) Thailand National Team | |
26 | Liam Holohan (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | |
27 | Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
28 | Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | |
29 | Muhammad Fauzan Ahmad Lufti (Mas) Malaysia National Team | |
30 | Ki Ho Choi (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
31 | Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | |
32 | Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | |
33 | Po Hung Wu (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | |
34 | Halvor Tandrevold (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | |
35 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | |
36 | Mark Dowling (Irl) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | |
37 | Dirk Müller (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | |
38 | Oddbjørn Klomtsen Andersen (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | |
39 | Ryan Sherlock (Irl) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | |
40 | Hiroki Nishimura (Jpn) Japan National Team | |
41 | Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | |
42 | Chen Lu Qin (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | |
43 | John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | |
44 | Lee Rodgers (GBr) CCN Cycling Team | |
45 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | |
46 | Benjamin Sydlik (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | |
47 | Ohko Shimizu (Jpn) Japan National Team | |
48 | Yin Chih Wang (Tpe) CCN Cycling Team | |
49 | Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | |
50 | Jakub Kratochvila (Cze) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | |
51 | Floris Goesinnen (Ned) DRAPAC Cycling | |
52 | Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille | 0:00:11 |
53 | Christopher Jenninngs (RSA) Team La Pomme Marseille | 0:00:14 |
54 | Ian Bibby (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:00:23 |
55 | Max Walsleben (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:00:31 |
56 | Rick Ampler (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:00:35 |
57 | Brennan Townshend (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:00:39 |
58 | Kohei Uchima (Jpn) Japan National Team | |
59 | Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | 0:01:12 |
60 | Patrick Shaw (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | 0:01:37 |
61 | Robbie Hucker (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | |
62 | Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | |
63 | Thomas Palmer (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:04:01 |
64 | Hui Zhang (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | 0:06:26 |
65 | Liphongyu Navuti (Tha) Thailand National Team | |
66 | Burr Ho (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
67 | En Huang (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | |
68 | Yasuharo Nakajima (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | |
69 | Mohd Nor Umardi Rosdi (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | |
70 | Yat Wai Chan (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
71 | Mohd Saiful Anwar Azis (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | |
72 | Hsin Hua Huang (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | |
73 | Joseph Cooper (NZl) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | |
74 | Andreas Müller (Aut) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | |
75 | Che Wei Hu (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | |
76 | Luke Keough (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | |
77 | Shimpei Fukuda (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | |
78 | Ahmad Fahmi Farhan Ahmad Fuat (Mas) Malaysia National Team | |
79 | Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | |
80 | Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
81 | Dominic Jelfs (Irl) Madison Genesis Team | |
82 | Zachary Bell (Can) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
83 | David Clarke (GBr) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:06:44 |
84 | Kun Hung Hung (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | |
85 | Fabian Schnaidt (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
86 | Yi Hao Tseng (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | |
87 | Chun Wing Leung (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
88 | Gordon Mccauley (NZl) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:06:47 |
89 | Christoph Scweizer (Ger) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:07:44 |
90 | Anuar Manan (Mas) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:11:58 |
91 | Nur Arif Prayoga (Ina) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | |
92 | Shotaro Iribe (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | |
93 | Masahiko Yasui (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | |
94 | Andrew Tennant (GBr) Madison Genesis Team |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | 17:40:50 |
2 | Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) MTN Qhubeka | 0:00:27 |
3 | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | 0:00:28 |
4 | Kirill Pozdnyakov (Rus) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | |
5 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | 0:00:31 |
6 | Oddbjørn Klomtsen Andersen (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | 0:00:37 |
7 | Mohammad Saufi Mat Senan (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | 0:00:41 |
8 | Ki Ho Choi (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | |
9 | Liam Holohan (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:00:43 |
10 | Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | 0:00:47 |
11 | Adiq Othman (Mas) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:49 |
12 | Sigurd Nesset (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | 0:00:53 |
13 | Robbie Hucker (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:00:55 |
14 | Sai-Udomsin Phuchong (Tha) Thailand National Team | 0:00:59 |
15 | Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | 0:01:04 |
16 | Jai Crawford (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | |
17 | Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | 0:01:06 |
18 | Morten Sandvik (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | 0:01:08 |
19 | Po Hung Wu (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | 0:01:19 |
20 | Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | 0:01:20 |
21 | Muhammad Fauzan Ahmad Lufti (Mas) Malaysia National Team | 0:01:35 |
22 | Chen Lu Qin (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | 0:01:36 |
23 | Mark Dowling (Irl) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | 0:01:39 |
24 | King Lok Cheung (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | 0:01:40 |
25 | Sirironnachai Sarawut (Tha) Thailand National Team | 0:01:46 |
26 | John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:01:47 |
27 | Dirk Müller (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:02:03 |
28 | Ryan Sherlock (Irl) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | 0:02:08 |
29 | Boonratanathanakorn Thurakit (Tha) Thailand National Team | 0:02:10 |
30 | Hao Liu (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | 0:02:25 |
31 | Benjamin Giraud (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille | 0:02:26 |
32 | Christopher Jenninngs (RSA) Team La Pomme Marseille | 0:02:58 |
33 | Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | 0:03:01 |
34 | Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | 0:03:16 |
35 | Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:33 |
36 | Floris Goesinnen (Ned) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:03:50 |
37 | Lee Rodgers (GBr) CCN Cycling Team | 0:04:08 |
38 | Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille | 0:04:15 |
39 | Ryoma Nonaka (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | 0:04:19 |
40 | Grischa Janorschke (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:04:43 |
41 | Ohko Shimizu (Jpn) Japan National Team | 0:04:56 |
42 | Yin Chih Wang (Tpe) CCN Cycling Team | 0:05:39 |
43 | Benjamin Edmüller (Ger) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | 0:05:45 |
44 | Ian Bibby (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:06:33 |
45 | Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | 0:07:01 |
46 | Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | 0:07:02 |
47 | Petr Lechner (Cze) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | 0:07:19 |
48 | David Clarke (GBr) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:07:48 |
49 | Jakub Kratochvila (Cze) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | 0:08:08 |
50 | Hui Zhang (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | 0:08:35 |
51 | Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | 0:08:42 |
52 | Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | 0:08:53 |
53 | Halvor Tandrevold (Nor) Team Frøy-Bianchi | 0:08:58 |
54 | Kohei Uchima (Jpn) Japan National Team | 0:08:59 |
55 | Kun Hung Hung (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | 0:09:43 |
56 | Max Walsleben (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:09:56 |
57 | En Huang (Chn) Max Success Sports Cycling Team | 0:10:09 |
58 | Yat Wai Chan (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | 0:10:29 |
59 | Mohd Saiful Anwar Azis (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | 0:10:37 |
60 | Benjamin Sydlik (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:11:00 |
61 | Mohd Nor Umardi Rosdi (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team | 0:11:19 |
62 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN Qhubeka | 0:12:13 |
63 | Patrick Shaw (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | 0:13:21 |
64 | Takero Terasaki (Jpn) Japan National Team | 0:13:24 |
65 | Hiroki Nishimura (Jpn) Japan National Team | 0:14:19 |
66 | Andreas Müller (Aut) ARBÖ-Gebrüder Weiss-Oberndorfer | 0:14:59 |
67 | Zachary Bell (Can) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:15:00 |
68 | Christoph Scweizer (Ger) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:15:35 |
69 | Luke Keough (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | 0:15:46 |
70 | Hsin Hua Huang (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | 0:16:41 |
71 | Mohd Nur Rizuan Zainal (Mas) Malaysia National Team | 0:17:30 |
72 | Che Wei Hu (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | 0:18:38 |
73 | Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | 0:19:29 |
74 | Rick Ampler (Ger) NUTRIXXION ABUS | 0:20:30 |
75 | Yi Hao Tseng (Tpe) Team Senter - Merida | 0:20:54 |
76 | Liphongyu Navuti (Tha) Thailand National Team | 0:21:33 |
77 | Dominic Jelfs (Irl) Madison Genesis Team | 0:21:59 |
78 | Ahmad Fahmi Farhan Ahmad Fuat (Mas) Malaysia National Team | 0:23:04 |
79 | Joseph Cooper (NZl) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Adviser | 0:23:23 |
80 | Brennan Townshend (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:23:32 |
81 | Burr Ho (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | 0:23:51 |
82 | Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:24:00 |
83 | Masahiko Yasui (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | 0:24:04 |
84 | Thomas Palmer (Aus) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:24:32 |
85 | Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling | 0:24:57 |
86 | Anuar Manan (Mas) Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team | 0:25:56 |
87 | Chun Wing Leung (HKg) Team Hong Kong China | 0:27:33 |
88 | Nur Arif Prayoga (Ina) Polygon Sweet Nice Team | 0:28:22 |
89 | Fabian Schnaidt (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:28:48 |
90 | Yasuharo Nakajima (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | 0:29:29 |
91 | Andrew Tennant (GBr) Madison Genesis Team | 0:30:16 |
92 | Gordon Mccauley (NZl) DRAPAC Cycling | 0:31:27 |
93 | Shimpei Fukuda (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team | 0:37:05 |
94 | Shotaro Iribe (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team | 0:39:42 |
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