Metlushenko wins Belgian style stage

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Ukraine’s veteran Yuriy Metluskenko of Turkish team Konya Torku Seker Spor 'thanked God' and his experience of racing in Belgium for helping him win stage 4 of the Tour of Taihu Lake called Wawushan Hill Circuit in Liyang. While Chinese races are mostly contested on flat and wide straight roads, this one included a small hill, curves, cobblestones and the strong wind took his toll on the outcome with runner up Joey Rosskopf not being part of the front group of 30 riders who contested the stage victory.

Race leader Milan Kadlec of Dukla Praha was attentive enough to not miss the split.

“Knowing a bit about the course, when I saw the wind this morning, I predicted that it wouldn’t end up in a bunch sprint finish," Metlushenko said. “That’s why I entered the very first breakaway.” The five other offensive riders were Jelajah Malaysia winner Yusuf Abrekov (China 361), Lukas Ranacker (Arbö), Hossein Jahanbanian (Tabriz), Christoph Schweizer (Nutrixxion) and Wang Meiyin (Hengxiang), but they got caught by the peloton led by Dukla Praha and Hong Kong. The other interesting breakaway formed of Sergey Grechin (Konya Torku Seker Spor), Floris Goesinnen (Drapac), Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) and once again Wang didn’t have more luck.

At the beginning of the third of the three laps of 52km each, it became a different scenario. Metlushenko heard in his native Russian language a conversation between riders from RusVelo and ISD, both teams having the intention to create echelons thanks to the wind blowing strongly from the left hand side. Thirty five riders made the cut at the front, including three from the aggressive French team La Pomme-Marseille but not Mathieu Delarozière who was fifth on GC, so a few changes occurred in the overall ranking. A last minute attack with 1km to go by Thomas Vaubourzeix didn’t prevent the remaining sprinters from ruling the stage result.

“After the last curve at 500 metres to go, the Russians attacked on the right side of the road," Metlushenko said. “So I took a big risk by opening my sprint on the left against the wind with 400 metres to go. But I had no choice because I was the only rider from my team at the front. Thanks God I’ve won. I also owe this victory to the directeurs sportifs who have taught me during my long career to always race at the front. Racing in Belgium is the reason why I’ve been able to win here today. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do in China nowadays. Cycling is growing drastically in this part of the world. In 2007, I rode the Tour of Qinghai Lake. Being a sprinter, I know what it is to be part of the grupetto. All the Chinese were with me. In a period of five years, many of them have become excellent competitive cyclists.”

“It’s a very aggressive kind of cycling," said Landbouwkrediet’s Kevin Peeters who came third in Lyiang. “There’s no respect in the sprints but for me, to finish third here today is a pretty good result, considering the level of the sprinters. I took the last curve in third position, then I lost some and I had to regain them.”

Hong Kong’s Choi Ki Ho confirmed the progression of Chinese riders as he moved up to the top three overall but he expressed a regret: “We should have been three from our team in the decisive move, not only two, because of the teams’ classification. But it was good for me to survive at the front with such a strong wind.” The Hong Kong team is expected to defend Choi’s lead as best Chinese and best young rider with keeping the bunch together in the next four stages in a combined effort with the Dukla Praha team of race leader Kadlec.

“I’ve been afraid for the boys [his team-mates] who had already worked a lot in the past two days," said the Czech veteran. “I was scared that someone dangerous on GC would attack. When the Russians rode for echelons, I took turns with them. I said that today’s stage would be the crucial one for the overall, so my confidence is logically increased after the race but we never know what can happen in the next four days. We’re only at half way into the Tour of Taihu Lake. We always fear a crash that could divide the bunch in splits. But I’m feeling well and we race with the intention of keeping the jersey till the end.”