Jon Aberasturi wins Tour of Hainan opener

Spain's Jon Aberasturi of Japanese outfit Ukyo claimed his eighth victory of the year, all of which have come in Asia at six different races, as he outsprinted Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina) at the end of stage 1 on the Tour of Hainan. Australia's Michael Freiberg (Isowheysports-Swisswellness) rounded out the podium.

Aberasturi has already scored wins earlier this year at the Tour of Thailand, the Tour of Japan, the Tour of Korea, the Tour of Qinghai Lake and the Tour of Taihu Lake.

"I didn't feel good during the race but the legs were normal again for sprinting at the end," the Basque rider told Cyclingnews at the finish. "This is my eighth win of the year. It makes me very happy. I won stage 1 in three races: Tour of Korea, Tour of Qinghai Lake and here. It's important. To beat a rider like Mareczko from time to time helps for the confidence, knowing that he has beaten some of the world's best sprinters before."

It took 30 kilometres for a breakaway to develop in the 88km-long opening stage of the 12th edition of the Tour of Hainan. Four riders made it: Enrico Barbin (Bardiani CSF), Joe Cooper (Isowheysports-Swisswellness), Vitaly Buts (Kolss) and Joab Schneiter (Switzerland).

"We were on a short leash," New Zealand national champion Cooper explained. "Out of four breakaway riders, two of us wanted to push on, the two others just wanted to cruise along. We never had full cooperation out there. I think the biggest gap we got was 39 seconds. It was never really enough."

Buts was brave enough to fend off the peloton in the only categorised climb of the day with 14.6km to go while Benjamin Hill (Attaque Team Gusto) was second at the top of the hill right behind him. "We've suffered a lot to stay away until the KOM point but at the end, luckily, I got it", the former Ukrainian rider from Lampre commented. "I'm happy. It has not been a breakaway for nothing. I hope to retain this jersey till the end. It becomes my goal now."

Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani CSF) tried his luck later on. He was joined by Taylor Shelden (Jelly Belly) with 10km to go but it was an inevitable sprint at the end.

"From one kilometre to go, there were two curves and I remained a bit behind in the last one," explained Mareczko. "That's where [Jon] Aberasturi passed me. He also beat me at the Tour of Taihu Lake the day I finished second. He's a good sprinter. There are more flat stages to come in this race so we as sprinters will have other occasions to do well."

Having won almost everything he could in Asia, Aberasturi, 28, who rode for Euskaltel in 2013 and 2014 will return to a Basque based squad next year with Euskadi Basque Country – Murias, which has applied for Pro Continental status for next season.

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