Metlushenko sprints to victory

Ukraine sprinter Yuriy Metlushenko (Amore & Vita-Conad) has taken out the Tour of Qinghai Lake preface criterium with a convincing charge to the line in Huzhu County. Metlushenko punched both fists into the air and screamed "Yeah!" in what could be a message to all others in the peloton that he is the man to watch in the points competition this year.

Metlushenko defeated Italy's Paolo De Negri (ISD-Neri) with Russia's Boris Shpilevskiy (Russian National Team) finishing third before an estimated crowd of 50,000. The criterium has no bearing on the tour’s GC but certainly gave the locals an opportunity to witness the speed that can be expected on the race.

Rain fell early in the twelve-lap race and although the peloton got through the 72 kilometres unscathed the riders would have been keen to get into a hot shower. Mud-splattered bodies and the grimaces on the riders’ faces told the story of day.

Breakaways were few and far between on a circuit with very long straights that made it difficult for any escapees to ride out of sight. There were some who tried but the best chance came in the second half of the race when Vitaliy Buts (Ukrainian National Team) and eventual third-place Boris Shpilevskiy (Russian National Team) got a gap of twenty seconds over the peloton.

The bunch was averaging around 7:50 per lap on the 6km circuit but when the pace picked up on the concluding laps, any chance of a break was gone. Metlushenko’s power on the pedals came to the fore and he added another win in China after claiming a stage in last year’s tour.

The Tour of Qinghai Lake proper gets underway tomorrow in Xining where riders face a 171km trek to Tongren. If conditions are anything like today the peloton is in for a tough day in the saddle. There is a category two climb of 3,038 metres at the 64km mark.

The sprinters will have two intermediate sprint sections along the way where Metlushenko is sure to figure again. A breakaway is highly likely given the stage profile and distance.

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Full Results
1Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukr) Amore & Vita - Conad1:32:18
2Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) ISD - NeriRow 1 - Cell 2
3Boris Shpilevskiy (Rus) RussiaRow 2 - Cell 2
4Jure Zrimsek (Slo) SloveniaRow 3 - Cell 2
5Tobias Erler (Ger) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 4 - Cell 2
6Robin Chaigneau (Ned) Skil - ShimanoRow 5 - Cell 2
7Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 6 - Cell 2
8Davide Frattini (Ita) Team Type 1Row 7 - Cell 2
9Jin Long (Chn) Skil - ShimanoRow 8 - Cell 2
10Dmytriy Krivtsov (Ukr) ISD - NeriRow 9 - Cell 2
11James Williamson (NZl) Subway - AvantiRow 10 - Cell 2
12Hossein Alizadeh (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 11 - Cell 2
13Emanuel Kiserlovski (Cro) LoborikaRow 12 - Cell 2
14Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) UkraineRow 13 - Cell 2
15Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong KongRow 14 - Cell 2
16Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 15 - Cell 2
17Pengda Jiao (Chn) ChinaRow 16 - Cell 2
18Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 17 - Cell 2
19Darko Blaževic (Cro) LoborikaRow 18 - Cell 2
20Hossein Jahanbanian Kamnabi (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Sergiy Grechyn (Ukr) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 20 - Cell 2
22Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels0:00:06
23Andriy Vasylyuk (Ukr) UkraineRow 22 - Cell 2
24Jelle Posthuma (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo PielsRow 23 - Cell 2
25Ying Hon Yeung (HKg) Hong KongRow 24 - Cell 2
26William Dugan (USA) Team Type 1Row 25 - Cell 2
27Eugen Wacker (Kgz) Giant Asia Racing TeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Vladimir Likhachev (Rus) RussiaRow 27 - Cell 2
29Chun Hing Chan (HKg) Hong KongRow 28 - Cell 2
30Dmitry Puzanov (Rus) RussiaRow 29 - Cell 2
31Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 30 - Cell 2
32Ki Ho Choi (HKg) Hong KongRow 31 - Cell 2
33Roman Zhiyentayev (Kaz) Kazakhstan0:00:10
34Alexander Filippov (Rus) RussiaRow 33 - Cell 2
35Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - ShimanoRow 34 - Cell 2
36Anthony Colby (USA) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 35 - Cell 2
37Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil - ShimanoRow 36 - Cell 2
38Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 10:00:12
39Rahim Emami (IRI) Giant Asia Racing TeamRow 38 - Cell 2
40Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Amore & Vita - Conad0:00:17
41Esad Hasanovic (Srb) Partizan SrbijaRow 40 - Cell 2
42Haijun Ma (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling TeamRow 41 - Cell 2
43Oleksandr Prevar (Ukr) UkraineRow 42 - Cell 2
44Ryan Wills (NZl) Subway - AvantiRow 43 - Cell 2
45King Lok Cheung (HKg) Hong Kong0:00:21
46Thomas Hasibeder (Aut) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder Weiss0:00:23
47Bo Liu (Chn) ChinaRow 46 - Cell 2
48Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO RadgivningRow 47 - Cell 2
49Kam Po Wong (HKg) Hong KongRow 48 - Cell 2
50Hossein Askari (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling Team0:00:25
51Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 50 - Cell 2
52Sergey Kuzmin (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 51 - Cell 2
53Yoriy Leontenko (Ukr) UkraineRow 52 - Cell 2
54Rasoul Barati (IRI) Giant Asia Racing TeamRow 53 - Cell 2
55Kasper Linde Jorgensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO RadgivningRow 54 - Cell 2
56Pim De Beer (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo PielsRow 55 - Cell 2
57Hrvoje Miholjevic (Cro) LoborikaRow 56 - Cell 2
58Jure Golcer (Slo) SloveniaRow 57 - Cell 2
59Anatoliy Sosnitskyy (Ukr) UkraineRow 58 - Cell 2
60Ghader Mizbani Iranagh (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 59 - Cell 2
61Cheng Ji (Chn) Skil - ShimanoRow 60 - Cell 2
62Evgeny Reshetko (Rus) RussiaRow 61 - Cell 2
63Peng Liu (Chn) ChinaRow 62 - Cell 2
64Volodymyr Gomenuk (Ukr) UkraineRow 63 - Cell 2
65Nazar Jumabekov (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 64 - Cell 2
66Stefan Poll (Aut) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder WeissRow 65 - Cell 2
67Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder WeissRow 66 - Cell 2
68Denys Kostyuk (Ukr) ISD - NeriRow 67 - Cell 2
69Han Feng (Chn) Skil - ShimanoRow 68 - Cell 2
70Prajak Mahawong (Tha) Giant Asia Racing TeamRow 69 - Cell 2
71Jaroslaw Dabrowski (Pol) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 70 - Cell 2
72Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) ISD - NeriRow 71 - Cell 2
73Volodymyr Starchyk (Ukr) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 72 - Cell 2
74Jakub Kratochvila (Cze) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder WeissRow 73 - Cell 2
75Jacob Nielsen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO RadgivningRow 74 - Cell 2
76Khalid Boulida (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team0:00:36
77William Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 76 - Cell 2
78Shijie Yu (Chn) ChinaRow 77 - Cell 2
79Maarten De Jonge (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels0:00:37
80Xiaoyong Dong (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling TeamRow 79 - Cell 2
81Ian Smallman (NZl) Subway - AvantiRow 80 - Cell 2
82Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1Row 81 - Cell 2
83Samuel Horgan (NZl) Subway - AvantiRow 82 - Cell 2
84Massimo Demarin (Cro) LoborikaRow 83 - Cell 2
85Tomislav Danculovic (Cro) LoborikaRow 84 - Cell 2
86Radoslav Rogina (Cro) LoborikaRow 85 - Cell 2
87Vitaliy Kondrut (Ukr) ISD - NeriRow 86 - Cell 2
88Yue Tu (Chn) ChinaRow 87 - Cell 2
89Wu Chen (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling TeamRow 88 - Cell 2
90Kristijan Durasek (Cro) LoborikaRow 89 - Cell 2
91Biao Liu (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling TeamRow 90 - Cell 2
92Mitja Mahoric (Slo) Slovenia0:00:43
93Matej Stare (Slo) SloveniaRow 92 - Cell 2
94Vladimir Kerkez (Slo) SloveniaRow 93 - Cell 2
95Lasse Bochman (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning0:00:45
96Jonathan Lovelock (Aus) Marco Polo Cycling TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
97Ivan Stevic (Srb) Partizan SrbijaRow 96 - Cell 2
98Yevgeniy Sladkov (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 97 - Cell 2
99Stefan Van Winden (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo PielsRow 98 - Cell 2
100Niki Ostergaard (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO RadgivningRow 99 - Cell 2
101Bernardo Colex Tepoz (Mex) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 100 - Cell 2
102Gang Xu (Chn) ChinaRow 101 - Cell 2
103Mads Christensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO RadgivningRow 102 - Cell 2
104Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Skil - ShimanoRow 103 - Cell 2
105Mykhaylo Kononenko (Ukr) Ukraine0:00:49
106Vladislav Borisov (Rus) Amore & Vita - ConadRow 105 - Cell 2
107David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team0:00:55
108Alex Coutts (GBr) Giant Asia Racing TeamRow 107 - Cell 2
109Marc Goos (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels0:00:56
110Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 10:01:02
111Salvatore Mancuso (Ita) ISD - NeriRow 110 - Cell 2
112Kun Jiang (Chn) China0:01:08
113King Wai Cheung (HKg) Hong Kong0:01:10
114Kristjan Fajt (Slo) SloveniaRow 113 - Cell 2
115Simon Clarke (Aus) ISD - Neri0:01:13
116Nicholas Lovegrove (NZl) Subway - Avanti0:02:48
117Joseph Cooper (NZl) Subway - Avanti0:02:50
118Svetislav Blagojevic (Srb) Partizan Srbija0:03:12
119Nikola Kozomara (Srb) Partizan SrbijaRow 118 - Cell 2
120Ting Dang (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling TeamRow 119 - Cell 2
121Mathias Gade Jacobsen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO Radgivning0:03:21
122Shengjun Wu (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling Team0:03:47
123Peilun Wu (Chn) Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling Team0:03:52
124Zsolt Der (Srb) Partizan Srbija0:05:38
125Thomas Rabou (Ned) Team Type 1Row 124 - Cell 2
126Andrej Omulec (Slo) Slovenia0:07:56
DNSSierk Jan De Haan (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo PielsRow 126 - Cell 2
DNSAlexander Arekeev (Rus) RussiaRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFMehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling TeamRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFBradley Hall (Aus) Marco Polo Cycling TeamRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFLoh Sea Keong (Mas) Marco Polo Cycling TeamRow 130 - Cell 2
DNFAhmad Haidar Anuawar (Mas) Marco Polo Cycling TeamRow 131 - Cell 2
DNFLars Pria (Rom) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder WeissRow 132 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Singer (Aut) Arbö Ktm - Gebrüder WeissRow 133 - Cell 2
DNFAlexandr Shushemoin (Kaz) KazakhstanRow 134 - Cell 2
DNFEric Drower (NZl) Subway - AvantiRow 135 - Cell 2
DNFDanil Komkov (Rus) RussiaRow 136 - Cell 2
DNFJonathan Chodroff (USA) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 137 - Cell 2
DNFSean Mazich (USA) Jelly Belly Presented By KendaRow 138 - Cell 2
DNFScott Stewart (USA) Team Type 1Row 139 - Cell 2
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Sprint 1
1Dmytriy Krivtsov (Ukr) ISD - Neri
2Mykhaylo Kononenko (Ukr) Ukraine
3Kun Jiang (Chn) China
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Sprint 2
1King Lok Cheung (HKg) Hong Kong
2Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong Kong
3Kun Jiang (Chn) China
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Sprint 3
1King Lok Cheung (HKg) Hong Kong
2Kun Jiang (Chn) China
3Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Kazakhstan

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