Lennart Jasch charges to top of Gunung Jerai to claim stage 2 of Le Tour de Langkawi and leap into the overall lead
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA duo of Abel Balderstone and Jan Castellon take second and third, forming a double GC challenge
Lennart Jasch (Tudor Pro Cycling) climbed his way to victory at Gunung Jerai on stage 2 of Le Tour de Langkawi, jumping right to the top of the GC pecking order after the first of three summit finishes and firing a warning shot to his rivals in Malaysia and beyond.
The German, who transitioned from speed skating after an injury, is in only his first season in the professional ranks, but charged up the testing climb like an old hand as he chased down and caught Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Serguros RGA) and then kept the pressure onto carve out a gap of 16 seconds by the end of the second stage of the 30th edition of the Malaysian Pro Tour race.
Balderstone, who will next year move over to UAE Team Emirates-XRG, held onto his second place while his teammate Jan Castellon was next at 32 seconds back on the stage.
"With the heat and humidity its super hard and also the climb is super hard so you can't really hide," Jasch told the media after heading up to stand on the top step of the podium after his stage win and also to claim the orange leader's jersey.
"In the end, it's not so much about tactics and, maybe it sounds stupid when I say this now," he said with a laugh, "but in the end the strongest mostly wins on this climb. So yeah, it's not so much about tactics but it's a really, really honest climb."
There was never any doubt that this would be an important day for the overall standings as while much of the 145.6km stage from Taiping to Gunung Jerai was flat, that all changed through the final when the race hit the final category 1 climb at 10.6km to go.
At that point there was no easing in, the sharp left onto the ascent going straight into a narrow and steep ramp before continuing to pile on the pain with its twists up through the hairpin bends that seem to just keep coming. The Kedah climb, which through the breaks in the forest opened up to vistas of Straits of Malacca, carved out substantial gaps in the overall beyond the top three spots, with no other riders within a minute of Jasch. With the win bonuses taken into account, Balderstone sits 20 seconds back and Castellon at 38 seconds.
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"There are six more stages to come so the GC is still super super open," said Jasch. "It will be a super hard fight and also really hard to keep this jersey."
How it unfolded
Seven riders went out on a day when the attacks once again started early, with Hakimi Nazuan (Malaysia National Team), Javier Ibanez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) Ade Meisa (Nusantara), Iqbal Nawawi (Malaysia Pro Cycling), Jihwan Park (KSPO) plus Aiman Zariff and Aiman Rosli of Terengganu. Meisa took the first intermediate sprint at 41km into the day of racing but by the time riders hit the category 4 climb at Selama 53.6km into the day of racing the lead group was splitting and it was Zariff who took top points.
By the second intermediate sprint at Padang Serai it was just Meisa and Nawawi left out front from the break, and Harold Martin López (XDS Astana) snuck out front to grab the final bonus which came with a one second time advantage. After taking the runner-up spot in the second sprint, Nawawi took top points in the third, by that stage, 114km in, being the lone survivor of the break.
XDS Astana were once again prominent in controlling the front of the race as the race headed toward its first summit and the peloton entered the climb all together but that didn't last long, The sprinters kicked in the clutch after what had, to that point, been a largely flat day all of a sudden took a different turn.
There had been plenty of conjecture through the lead in as to just who would come out on top after this first climbing test, with the travel, heat, humidity and unfamiliar environment all adding op the challenge for the European-based professionals.
Though Jasch proved he was up to it, taking his third victory of the year and carving out a 20 second advantage on the overall standings in his first big test in a tour as team leader. The next two will come on stage 4 and 5, with the longer climbs of the Cameron and Genting Highlands to tackle and the Caja Rural-Serguros RGA duo sitting poised behind.
Cyclingnews attended Le Tour de Langkawi on an invitation/media package from the race that included travel and accommodation. In line with our editorial standards, our coverage is independent and was not subject to review, approval or influence by the organiser or any sponsor; no favourable coverage was promised or given in return.
Results
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Lennart Jasch (Ger) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
3:37:21 |
2 |
Abel Balderstone Roumens (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:00:16 |
3 |
Jan Castellon Ribalta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:00:32 |
4 |
Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:01:04 |
5 |
Cedrik Bakke Christophersen (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:01:05 |
6 |
Eivind Broholt Fougner (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:01:06 |
7 |
Mattia Gaffuri (Ita) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:01:13 |
8 |
Mathis Le Berre (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:01:26 |
9 |
Jorge Gutierrez Gonzalez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:01:31 |
10 |
Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:01:36 |
11 |
Robin Donzé (Swi) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:02:02 |
12 |
Martin Santiago Herreño Polania (Col) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:02:11 |
13 |
Kieran Haug (USA) Modern Adventure |
0:02:11 |
14 |
Harold Martin Lopez Granizo (Ecu) XDS Astana Team |
0:02:39 |
15 |
Stefan De Bod (RSA) Modern Adventure |
0:02:51 |
16 |
Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:02:57 |
17 |
Josh Burnett (NZl) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:03:10 |
18 |
Mattia Stenico (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:03:21 |
19 |
Adne Willemjan Van Engelen (Ned) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:03:22 |
20 |
Lindon Milostic (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:03:26 |
21 |
Daniel Whitehouse (GBr) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:03:35 |
22 |
Matthew Peace (GBr) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:03:55 |
23 |
Jonathan Klever Caicedo Cepeda (Ecu) Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:04:13 |
24 |
Sergio Meris (Ita) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:04:18 |
25 |
Owen Geleijn (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:04:37 |
26 |
Yuhi Todome (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:04:50 |
27 |
Zhe Yie Kee (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:05:05 |
28 |
Petr Rikunov Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:05:11 |
29 |
Ren Bao Tsen (Mas) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:05:29 |
30 |
Antoine Huby (Fra) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
0:05:40 |
31 |
Mikel Retegi Goñi (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:05:46 |
32 |
Ren Han Tsen (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:05:54 |
33 |
Andrei Stepanov Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:06:08 |
34 |
Iderbold Bold (Mgl) Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:06:30 |
35 |
Muhammad Syawal Mazlin (Mas) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:06:39 |
36 |
Mario Aparicio Muñoz (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:07:13 |
37 |
Guillermo Juan Martinez Huertas (Col) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:07:24 |
38 |
Aivaras Mikutis (Ltu) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:07:36 |
39 |
Valentin Retailleau (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:07:38 |
40 |
Muhamad Herlangga (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:07:38 |
41 |
Nicolas Breuillard (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:08:17 |
42 |
Chaoyi Li (Chn) Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:08:30 |
43 |
Nicola Marcerou (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:08:49 |
44 |
Jaypee Olarte (Phi) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
0:09:34 |
45 |
Junqi Shao (Chn) Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team |
0:09:44 |
46 |
Javier Ibañez Beltran De Salazar (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:09:44 |
47 |
Muhammad Ridwan (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:09:51 |
48 |
Taehyeong Kim (Kor) KSPO |
0:09:58 |
49 |
Pablo Carrascosa Miller (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:10:28 |
50 |
Ilham Dzikri Ramadhan (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:10:28 |
51 |
Edward Santiago Cruz Martinez (Col) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:10:43 |
52 |
Yen Yi Ho (Tpe) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:10:50 |
53 |
Erickson Lopez (Phi) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:11:08 |
54 |
Muhammad Adam Danish Afdzal (Mas) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:11:16 |
55 |
Jian Le Chan (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:11:21 |
56 |
Muhammad Iqmal Mohd Zarawi (Mas) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:11:28 |
57 |
Santiago Ferraro (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:12:09 |
58 |
Aphisit Supan (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:12:18 |
59 |
Zeb Kyffin (GBr) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:12:25 |
60 |
Muhammad Zahin Wahhi (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:12:30 |
61 |
Taejun Park (Kor) KSPO |
0:12:58 |
62 |
Alan Jousseaume (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:13:06 |
63 |
Dillon Corkery (Irl) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:13:08 |
64 |
Julen Arriola-Bengoa Beitia (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:13:54 |
65 |
Christiaan Van Rees (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:14:06 |
66 |
Hijiri Oda (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:14:16 |
67 |
George Matsui (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:14:54 |
68 |
Petr Kelemen (Cze) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:15:12 |
69 |
Muh Imam Arifin (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:15:12 |
70 |
Astnan Maulana (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:15:17 |
71 |
Rodrigo Alvarez Rodriguez (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:15:40 |
72 |
Nil Gimeno Ferrer (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:15:40 |
73 |
Daniel Cavia Sanz (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:15:48 |
74 |
Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:15:52 |
75 |
Hwanhui Je (Kor) KSPO |
0:16:31 |
76 |
Alessio Delle Vedove (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
0:16:33 |
77 |
Rory Townsend (Irl) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:16:33 |
78 |
Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:16:47 |
79 |
Jack Lightfoot (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:17:05 |
80 |
Ade Meisa (Ina) Nusantara Cycling Team |
0:18:09 |
81 |
Rui Udagawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:18:48 |
82 |
Tomoya Koyama (Jpn) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:18:52 |
83 |
Thanakhan Chaiyasombat (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:18:55 |
84 |
Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:19:00 |
85 |
Yongjoo Kim (Kor) KSPO |
0:20:18 |
86 |
Thanachat Yatan (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:20:33 |
87 |
Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:20:42 |
88 |
Keito Kamiya (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:20:46 |
89 |
Tullatorn Sosalam (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:21:06 |
90 |
Mervin Corpuz (Phi) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
0:21:17 |
91 |
Riley Pickrell (Can) Modern Adventure |
0:21:54 |
92 |
Aaron Murray Gate (NZl) XDS Astana Team |
0:21:54 |
93 |
Gleb Syritsa XDS Astana Team |
0:21:54 |
94 |
Filippo Cettolin (Ita) Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber |
0:21:54 |
95 |
Scott McGill (USA) Modern Adventure |
0:21:54 |
96 |
Lev Gonov XDS Astana Team |
0:21:54 |
97 |
Seppe Van Den Boer (Bel) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
0:21:54 |
98 |
Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:21:54 |
99 |
Iker Villar Galdeano (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:21:54 |
100 |
Robin Carpenter (USA) Modern Adventure |
0:21:54 |
101 |
Ronnilan Quita (Phi) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
0:22:11 |
102 |
Matteo Malucelli (Ita) XDS Astana Team |
0:22:46 |
103 |
Roy Hoogendoorn (Ned) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:22:46 |
104 |
Ibai Azanza Burusco (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:22:46 |
105 |
Ronan Auge (Fra) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:22:46 |
106 |
Muhamad Iqbal Daniel Mohd Nawawi (Mas) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:23:08 |
107 |
Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil (Mas) Malaysia Pro Cycling |
0:23:21 |
108 |
Rohan Haydon-Smith (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:24:18 |
109 |
Mohamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:24:39 |
110 |
Liam Cuthbertson (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team |
0:25:56 |
111 |
Jihwan Park (Kor) KSPO |
0:25:56 |
112 |
Kazuto Minami (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team |
0:29:04 |
113 |
Muhammad Adam Hakimi Nazuan (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:29:37 |
114 |
Muhammad Yusri Shaari (Mas) Malaysia National Team |
0:29:47 |
115 |
Noppachai Klahan (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team |
0:36:52 |
116 |
Byeonghoon Shin (Kor) KSPO |
0:36:55 |
DNF |
Cormac McCeough (Irl) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
Row 116 - Cell 2 |
DNF |
Bradley Perkins (GBr) 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines |
Row 117 - Cell 2 |
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Lennart Jasch (Ger) Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
7:44:04 |
2 |
Abel Balderstone Roumens (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:00:20 |
3 |
Jan Castellon Ribalta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
0:00:38 |
4 |
Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH |
0:01:14 |
5 |
Cedrik Bakke Christophersen (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:01:15 |
6 |
Mattia Gaffuri (Ita) Unibet Rose Rockets |
0:01:16 |
7 |
Eivind Broholt Fougner (Nor) Team Picnic PostNL |
0:01:23 |
8 |
Mathis Le Berre (Fra) Totalenergies |
0:01:36 |
9 |
Jorge Gutierrez Gonzalez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma |
0:01:41 |
10 |
Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Terengganu Cycling Team |
0:01:46 |
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Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.
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