Theo Bos takes the stage win(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
The stage 3 podium in Hainan(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
Anuar Manan takes a time bonus to become best Asian rider(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
Vasylyuk and Jabrayilov in the breakaway(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
Theo Bos leads Hofland to the line for Belkin's second 1-2 finish(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) enjoys his time in the yellow jersey in Tour of Hainan(Image credit: Tour of Hainan 2013)
(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton passes ruined buildings on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton passes ruined buildings on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Spectators take in the Tour of Hainan(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The breakaway getting caught on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The breakaway on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Belkin protects Hofland on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Belkin stays attentive on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The breakaway on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Hofland kept the yellow jersey(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) took another second to his teammate(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The peloton on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
The podium on stage 3(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Anuar Manan in the best Asian rider's jersey(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Stage 3 podium(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) in yellow in China(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) enjoys his time in the yellow jersey in Tour of Hainan(Image credit: Guoqiang Song)
Christopher Williams (Novo Nordisk)(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
The Hong Kong team(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
An injured rider(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Li Fuyu leading the young Chinese riders in Heng Xiang Cycling Team(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) in the leader's jersey(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
The start of stage 3 in Tour of Hainan(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Novo Nordisk rider signs in(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
The start of stage 3(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Team Champion System(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Bos, Hofland and Boom make three Belkins in the top four(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Zhang Jingwei has leopard gloves(Image credit: www.biketo.com)
Stage 2 winner Theo Bos and race leader Moreno Hofland repeated their 1-2 on stage 3 in front of Guantang Hot Spring Leisure Center in Qionghai. This time around, the first non-Belkin rider on the line was Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukrainian national team), in third.
“It’s been a similar race as yesterday”, Bos described. “A breakaway went but not very early and only one of our guys, Marc Goos, was able to set the pace of the bunch and chase by himself.”
Helped for a while by Jabrayilov, Vasylyuk went solo and was 1:30 ahead of the peloton with 15km to go. He was first at the last intermediate sprint located 8km before the finishing line. Coming second, Anuar Manan of Synergy Baku took the time bonus he needed to lead the Asian riders classification again.
“But a stage win at the Tour of Hainan is my goal more than the blue jersey, which is hard to keep for a sprinter although the profile is not so bad this year”, Manan said. “I’ve won a stage at this race in 2008 and 2011, last year I got a second place. This year, there are a lot of strong sprinters but I think I can still win. I believe in myself and I believe in my team-mates.”
A split in the bunch added nine seconds more to his lead over previous blue jersey wearer Cheong King Wai from Hong Kong. For the same reason, runner up Frédéric Amorison dropped down in time (42 seconds) compared to Hofland and maintained his position by only one second over Tom Leezer, also from Belkin whose train seems to be hard to beat.
“Some other teams were looking for time bonus at the end, so the last 20km went pretty fast”, Bos explained. “But we managed to hit the front and put our train in place. Lars Boom capped it off and gave me the way really close to the finish. He made it easy for us. We could repeat the same tactic with Moreno [Hofland] following me.”
“If possible, one day I’ll try to pass Theo”, echoed the race leader with a smile. “But when he sprints over 50km/h, he’s hard to beat. Only if a finish is uphill, we can go for a different result. For now, we’re gonna keep the same tactic. I’m confident I can keep the yellow jersey in the hills [in stage 7 and 8] because I could climb well at the Tour of Beijing.”
Since he switched from track to road cycling after the Beijing Olympics, Bos had the goal to win one more race every year. At Le Tour de Langkawi in February this year, he said he was unsure of his target after he exceeded his expected score in 2012 with seven victories. Stage 2 of the Tour of Hainan saw him reaching eight wins during the 2013 season.
“It’s nice to break a record”, Bos concluded. “But maybe I should stop it there, otherwise I won’t know what to do next year. Anyway, we’ll try to get the most of this race as a team with winning more sprints and GC.”
Brief Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Theo Bos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
3:19:34
2
Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
Row 1 - Cell 2
3
Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukr) Ukraine
Row 2 - Cell 2
4
Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
Row 3 - Cell 2
5
Justin Jules (Fra) La Pomme Marseille
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
José Gonçalves (Por) La Pomme Marseille
Row 5 - Cell 2
7
Michael Kurth (Ger) Team Quantec-Indeland
Row 6 - Cell 2
8
Fabian Schnaidt (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
Row 7 - Cell 2
9
Christoph Schweizer (Ger) Synergy Baku Cycling Project
Row 8 - Cell 2
10
William Walker (Aus) Drapac Cycling
Row 9 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
General classification after stage 3
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
9:22:33
2
Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Crelan-Euphony
0:00:42
3
Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
0:00:43
4
Fabian Schnaidt (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
0:00:47
5
William Walker (Aus) Drapac Cycling
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
José Gonçalves (Por) La Pomme Marseille
0:00:50
7
Mykhailo Kononenko (Ukr) Ukraine
Row 6 - Cell 2
8
Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk
0:00:56
9
Theo Bos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
0:00:58
10
Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice
0:00:59
11
Darío Hernández (Spa) Burgos BH-Castilla y Leon
Row 10 - Cell 2
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