It turned out to be a good trip, with Team Medscheme getting some great racing miles in the legs, securing a Team Classification win, and second place overall by Nic White.
Keil Reijnen of Jelly Belly leads the tour and this descent © Chiashin Lin
Keil Reijnen of Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA) won the tour after winning the Stage One prologue. The race GC remained constant until a break in the penultimate stage shuffled things round a bit, but then in the final 20kms of the last stage, things turned in favour of the race favorites. Nic was not able to keep the reports flowing (due to limited WiFi and energy), but herewith how it all unfolded in the last five days of fun in the sun in Thailand.
Stage 2The second stage of the Tour of Thailand was a very interesting 177km through some unbelievable temperatures, and some very slight undulations in the final 40kms.
Fast forward to the end - David McCann of Ireland, riding for Team Giant Asia, jumped clear of a disorganized bunch in the final kilometer to narrowly hold off the bunch sprinters and get the stage win. Second went to Thailand's Nawuti Liphongyu and third to Malaysia's Anuar Manan. Liphongyu is a first year U23, and has achieved a great result for the host Nation, just being robbed of a win by the crafty McCann.
McCann wins the 2nd stage, and jumps to 3rd overall Pic © Chiashin Lin
From the start, Jelly Belly decided to set the tempo, after three riders had attacked (Australian from PlanB racing, Team Malaysia rider, and Japanese Bridgestone Anchor). They gained only up to 3 min, but the Jelly Belly kept the tempo high all day, eventually with 40km remaining the race regrouped, and the leaders team still kept the tempo high.
This ended up being their undoing, as in the heat, their powers could not last, and some hard attacking by the bunch split the group into a few pieces, and only the yellow jersey - Reijnen could follow.
No riders were prepared to drive the front split, but everyone wanted to attack, and it was total chaos in the final 10km. A few small groups formed, and as it regrouped, McCann took his chance and managed to hold off the faster riders to win.
Team Medscheme had a relaxed start to the day, riding on the wheels in the bunch. Unfortunately Johann Rabie was involved in a crash, as riders fell on a rough part of the route. He made it back to the bunch without too much injury, but battled in the racing near the end of the stage and missed the split in the group, losing time and his top ten position.
Racing in the heat, over undulating some roads © C Lin
Nic was in the action in the final 20km, along with Hanco and Malcolm, but they could not get a group working, and also felt the toll of riding in 45°C for four hours in 86% humidity. Some of our efforts helped split the bunch, but then they were holding on just for survival, and could not do anything in the sprint effort.
After the finish line, the local fire engine station had their hoses spraying a jet of water into the air and onto the riders. It was the only way to cool their core temperature down in the baking heat.
The dangers at the back of the bunch! © C Lin
Well, WiFi been scarce over the next few stages, but fast forward to day 5, and big things have happened. Jelly Belly have proven to be very strong, controlling the escapes, and bringing the bunch together for a sprint each time, so that Malaysian, Anuar Manan, won stages 3 and 4, taking the points jersey in the process. The GC had remained the same over those two days, with Reijnen getting a few seconds over the rest in a second place finish on day 4.
Day 5 started a bit more gently, but an early move went clear that contained 9 riders with some only 40 sec behind on the GC. Jelly Belly again took control, looking powerful enough for the job. The route contained some interesting rough road sections, including a 12km stretch of dirt road. Our only casualty was Neil MacDonald, who punctured, and then could not return to the bunch as he was suffering a stomach bug, and was too weakened, eventually abandoning, and climbing into the broom wagon. Another casualty of the day, Jaan Kirsipuui of the CKT team.
Neil Macdonald punctures on the dirt! © K Buys
With 50km remaining of the 186km stage, the Jelly Bellys were running out of steam, and looked for assistance, but with some help from Giant Asia, and us, the gap to the leaders did not come down rapidly enough. The rough roads in the final 20km were not conducive to a chase, and the bunch launched attack after attack, but did not catch three of the escapees who stayed away for the stage and took over the first three places of the GC.
The Final Day, 6
Last Stage - 190km, and everything to race for, starting and finishing in Ubon Ratchathani. The weather was good and hot as expected, also a strong tail wind fueled the aggression.
The day started with Team Medscheme trying to get some good escape groups going but the Japanese National Team (now defending the race lead) did everything they could to contain the attacks and were succeeding until about 80km, when the race split.
Malcolm and Nic were present and keeping the race going. Not everyone in the group fancied this move with over 100km remaining, so it started to lose ground to the chase. The Japanese continental team of Bridgestone Anchor had two riders keen to force the pace and eventually Nic went clear with Fukuhara Masaru.
The two got a gap, and with everyone else needing to refuel with drinks, they opened a healthy lead heading into a hilly section of the route. Masaru won the mountain prime from Nic, and then they pushed on, reaching a maximum lead of 4 minutes. The gap then started to close so Nic & Masaru decided to ease up. The Japanese National team then also slacked off the chase and the gap opened a bit.
Following the racing action in the early race moments © C Lin
Nic took the sprint prime after 144km from Masaru, and the 3s time bonus that came with it, which would prove very valuable by the end of the day.
With only 20km left, a split off the bunch caught the two breakaway riders. The group included Kazakhstan rider, Dymovskikh (was now racing into the lead), Reijnen (Jelly Belly), Deon Locke (CKT), Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefits), Parno and Fritanto (Indonesia) and Tuguldur (Mongolia), this group noticbaly excluding 1st and 2nd on GC. This was perfect for Nic, as the opportunity to move up in the classification was on the cards, as well as securing the Team Classification.
Then the Kazakhstan rider disappeared from the front group, either just blown or punctured, no one was sure. Second on GC was within reach if Nic could hang on, which was getting increasingly difficult in the heat and the head wind. All the riders were pacing through hard wanting the opportunity to move up on the GC, and the chance for the stage.
The tour had a final dirt section to contend with, and luckily Nic didn’t not puncture, then the last couple of kilometers dragged by before Reijnen kept the tempo in the final kilometer. Nic had to sprint along, but with no power to challenge, as he could not afford to lose any seconds to Locke, as he was the nearest challenger in the GC and Team Competition. Luckily he didn’t win the stage, but his 3rd place behind Parno and Shirley did give him a few bonus seconds, to add the the prime he’d won early in the stage, moving him up to within a second of Nic on GC. Nic finished the stage in 7th, behind Reijnen.
Reijnen took back the lead and yellow jersey, as well as sealed the points competition win as the most consistent finisher. It had been an interesting tour, with the team of Jelly Belly the strongest, until the penultimate day, but perhaps them losing their lead, meant that they could sit by and watch the others fold on the last day, giving them a new opportunity at winning. Reijnen proved a very strong rider, and as a youngster, he may have a bright future ahead of him.
Jellly Belly proved very strong for most of the tour, here controlling in the shimmering heat © C Lin
Final stage- 190km
1 Parno (Ina) Custom Cycling Club 4:30:02
2 Neil Shirley (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies
3 Deon Locke (Aus) CKT TMIT - Champion System
4 Tuulkhangai Tuguldur (Mgl) Mongolia National Team
5 Hari Fitrianto (Ina) Polygon Sweet Nice Team
6 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
7 Nicholas White (RSA) Medscheme Cycling Team
8 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 0:00:05
9 Ahmad Haidar Anuawar (Mas) Marco Polo Cycling Team 0:00:56
10 Ang Vincent (Sin) Cycling Team CCN
Team Medscheme had found good legs by the end of the tour but unfortunately the heat and racing took its toll on some, as Neil Macdonald fell ill failing to finish the penultimate day, and Johann Rabie puncturing at a bad moment on the last day, not able to get back to the bunch.
Overall results 1 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda 22:23:15
2 Nicholas White (RSA) Medscheme Cycling Team 0:00:18
3 Deon Locke (Aus) CKT TMIT - Champion System 0:00:19
4 Neil Shirley (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:00:23
5 Tuulkhangai Tuguldur (Mgl) Mongolia National Team 0:00:32
6 Bradeley Hall (Aus) Marco Polo Cycling Team 0:00:37
7 Kohei Uchima (Jpn) Japan National Team
8 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0:00:42
9 Parno (Ina) Custom Cycling Club 0:00:46
10 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 0:01:02
Team Medscheme’s support staff did a great job in looking after the team in the difficult and hot conditions (Kandice Buys, Magnus Gouws and Morne Steyn), making it a great team effort in securing the goals for the tour. The team got 1st in the Team Competition, and a 2nd on the final podium with Nic with Hanco and Malcolm also finished the tour in the top 20.
Team Classification1 Medscheme Cycling Team 67:13:03
2 CKT TMIT - Champion System 0:00:08
3 Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:00:15
4 Bridgestone Anchor 0:01:06
5 Kazakhstan National Team 0:01:20
6 Custom Cycling Club 0:01:22
7 Shimano Racing Team 0:01:25
8 Thailand National Team 0:01:40
9 Polygon Sweet Nice Team 0:01:47
10 Giant Asia Racing 0:01:48
In cycling sport - results are not possible without great team support from riders and staff and sponsors, so thank you all at Team Medscheme!