Michael Torkler (BikeNZ - PureBlack), winner of the 2012 Tour of Borneo(Image credit: Tour of Borneo)
(Image credit: Tour of Borneo)
BikeNZ - PureBlack Racing's Michael Torckler won the Tour of Borneo, holding out Genesys Wealth Adviser's Nathan Earle by just four seconds to retain the yellow jersey on Tuesday's final stage.
Torckler, 25, delivered a mammoth five-day performance, assisted by a determined and committed display from his teammates who ensured the yellow jersey, and orange points jersey, remained under lock and key for the entire tour.
The tour started with an unprecedented 'blackwash' of the podium after a 1,2,3 finish (Torckler, Louis Crosby, Roman van Uden) by BikeNZ - PureBlack Racing.
"I definitely came here knowing I was in excellent form, and with a drive to win the tour," said Michael, "I just didn't expect that it would happen from day one."
BikeNZ - PureBlack Racing Director Sportif, John Harris said the result of the tour is an outstanding testament to the team of five's commitment to secure Torckler the win.
"Everyone has played their roles perfectly, we could not have dreamed for a better result. With Shem [Rodger] withdrawing halfway due to sickness, and Jimmy [Williamson] picking up a puncture in the final stage, the team have stood up and delivered." said Harris.
Torckler has continued his rich vein of form this season after being out of the sport for a year recovering from a broken kneecap. His Boreo victory followed comprehensive wins at both the Taupo Cycle Classic, and the K2 Cycle Classic for this fast rising young all-rounder.
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Nathan Earle (Genesys Wealth Advisers) finished second to Torckler in the final general classification, and he also emerged the winner of the mountains classification, having won the mountain stage from Sepilok to Kundasang on Monday. Genesys also emerged the overall teams classification winners, having registered victories in three out of the five stages, two through Earle in stage two and four, while stage three was won by Anthony Giacoppo.
Ukranian Volodymyr Zagorodniy won the final stage of the Tour of Borneo after succeeding with a breakaway that began early in the stage that descended from Kundasang into Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah.
The Suren Uzbekistan Team rider registered his team's first win on the UCI Asia Tour this season after he beat Plan B's Luke Joyce and Genesys Wealth Advisers' Blake Hose to the finish line as the trio split from an initial breakaway group of 11 riders.
The breakaway group included Genesys Wealth Advisers' Jonathan Lovelock and they managed to open up a gap of more than five minutes on the main peloton as they entered Kota Kinabalu, which would have put Lovelock into the overall lead.
