8 Sep - 15 Sep 2018

TEAM Pro Team

CITY Various

STAGES 7

TEAM Pro Team CITY Various STAGES 7

Video

Stephen Clancy breaks down the opening stage of the 2018 Tour of China I. “There’ll be some interesting dynamics with some unknown teams and some familiar teams, but we’re excited.”

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 1

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 1

Location: Jintang Huaizhou / Jintang Huaizhou, China

Distance: 82.9 kilometers

JINTANG HUIZHOU, CHN – Team Novo Nordisk launched its Asian race campaign on Saturday at the first stage of the Tour of China I, beginning a pair of linked stage races that will see the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team cover 13 stages in 16 days.

Mehdi Benhamouda was the team’s top finisher for the 83km circuit race around Jintang, crossing the line 15th ten seconds behind stage winner Mateo Malucelli of Italy.

The Tour of China I moves next to Pinchang for a 140km loop through hilly country for stage two.


Stephen Clancy:

“It’s cool to be back here in China after a fun week in Rwanda two or three weeks ago. Travel went well and the weather seems ok; nice and dry, a little bit warm. So we’ll see how it goes. There’ll be some interesting dynamics with some unknown teams and some familiar teams, but we’re excited.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Matteo Malucelli (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): 1:46:48

2nd: Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia): ”

3 BENFATTO Marco Benfatto (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): ”

15th: Mehdi Benhamouda: 0:10 behind Malucelli


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

(Photo: ©Anne Wu)

Gallery

(Photo: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 2

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 2

Location: Pingchang / Pingchang, China

Distance: 140.6 kilometers

PINGCHANG, CHINA – Team Novo Nordisk charged up into the mountains of China on Sunday, scaling three peaks in a roaring peloton in stage two at the Tour of China I.

Stage two was raced in northeast Sichuan, an 81-million person province in the middle of the country. The 21 international teams in the peloton covered 140km with three categorized climbs before finishing a large loop to arrive back at the morning’s start line after three and a half hours of racing.

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team finished the hilly stage with an eye to the future, leading with neo-pro Declan Irvine across the line first on a day that saw many challenges at the front.

On Monday the Tour of China I moves to northern Sichuan and the start city of Bazhong. At 158km stage three will be the longest stage so far in the 2018 edition of the 9-year old race.


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Juan Sebastián Molano (Manzana Postobon): 3:24:57

2nd: Mingrun Chen (Hengxiang Cycling Team): ”

3rd: Sergio Higuita (Manzana Postobon): ”

76th: Declan Irvine: 21:09 behind Molano


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

Reid McClure breaks down a rainy and hilly stage 3 of the 2018 Tour of China I.

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 3

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 3

Location: Bazhong / Enyang, China

Distance: 158 kilometers

ENYANG,CHINA – Team Novo Nordisk came through hills and rain on Monday in stage three at the Tour of China I, finishing the longest day of competition with a flourish during several circuit loops along the Enyang River.

The world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team is in China racing this month, approaching the end of the 2018 season with a flurry of activity in Asia. The Tour of China I continues through Saturday, with a rest day on Friday, and is mostly a tour of the Sichuan Province in the center of the country.

On Tuesday the Tour of China I moves to nearby Chongqing for another hilly day in a unique and short 84km stage along a mountain ridge line.


Reid McClure:

“It was 158 kilometers of a very hilly day. It seemed like there was just about zero flat parts on the race today. And it ended being a wet day, raining pretty much from start to finish. After the race we got in the van and had a 3 to 4-hour transfer to our hotel, but hopefully we can recover well and get ready for tomorrow’s stage. It looks like it’s possibly going to be shorter than expected, so it should be a fast and furious race.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Marco Benfatto (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): 3:35:57

2nd Juan Sebastián Molano (Manzana Postobon): ”

3rd: MALUCELLI Matteo Malucelli (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): ”


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

Mehdi Benhamouda recaps a short, punchy stage 4 of the 2018 Tour of China I.

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 4

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 4

Location: Chongqing Liangping / Chongqing Liangping, China

Distance: 69.9 kilometers

CHONGQING LIANGPING, CHINA – Tuesday’s stage 4 at the Tour of China gave riders a short, sharp shock in the rolling countryside of the Chongqing municipality. Team Novo Nordisk riders took to the 70-km stage early in the morning and then packed up for a 500km transfer to continue the race on Wednesday.

With a stage duration of less than two hours, the peloton was active and aggressive all day in China. The world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team put riders at the front of the group to patrol for breakaways, and held on for a series of short climbs at first before topping out with a 4km climb mid-stage.

Weather remained dry on Tuesday, a contrast to Monday’s three hours and forty five minutes of warm rain and wet roads.

On Wednesday the Tour of China I moves to nearby Chongqing for another hilly day in a unique and short 84km stage along a mountain ridge line.


Mehdi Benhamouda:

“Today the stage was short and really fast with some hills. The hills were short and steep and we climbed for 4 kilometers. I’m feeling good after the 4th stage and I hope I can sprint again in stage 5 to do a good result.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Jacopo Mosca (Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia): 1:41:41

2nd: Sam Crome (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team): ”

3rd: Damiano Cima (Nippo – Vini Fantini – Europa Ovini): ”

84th: Emanuel Mini: 6:14 behind Mosca


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

Chris Williams breaks down stage 5 of the 2018 Tour of China I. “With 300m remaining, there was a crash, and Mehdi unfortunately lost his postion in the sprint. But we’re learning and and we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 5

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 5

Location:  Yinchang / Zhijiang, China

Distance: 113.9 kilometers

ZHIJIANG, CHINA – After four hilly stages at the Tour of China it was a mass finish on Wednesday in stage five, with sprinters all coming to the front to fly past the line.

Team Novo Nordisk’s Mehdi Benhamouda found himself in a good position coming into the final kilometers, but a massive pile-up in the last corner stopped him, and most of the rest of the peloton from the final 400m.

There were no serious injuries in the crash, and Benhamouda together with the rest of the affected riders were all given the same time as stage winner Marco Benfatto of Italy. The 2018 Tour of China I will be flat for the remaining two stages, but some climbing will return in the Tour of China II next week.

Chris Williams:

“As expected, today’s stage was super fast. We averaged almost 48km an hour, so the race was over in about 2 and a half hours. We had a bunch sprint at the end, and we hit the front with 3km to go, leading out Mehdi. There was a lefthand turn with 300m remaining and there was a crash right on the corner. So Mehdi was stuck in that and unfortunately he lost his postion in the sprint. But we’re learning and we’re getting our sprint training together and we’ll try again tomorrow.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Marco Benfatto (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): 2:25:35

2nd: Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina – Selle Italia): ”

3rd: Manuel Peñalver (Trevigiani Phonix – Hemus 1896)

38th: Mehdi Benhamouda: “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

Stagiaire Declan Irvine breaks down stage 6 of the 2018 Tour of China I: “We did well, and everyone did what they had to. But several teams were fighting for position, and there just wasn’t enough space for 22 teams.”

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 6

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 6

Location:  Qianjiang / Qianjiang, China

Distance: 113 kilometers

QIANJIANG, CHN – Once again it was a day for the sprinters in the Tour of China I, with a moderate distance of 113km covered in 2:31 by the peloton, for an average speed of 44.9km per hour.

Declan Irvine led Team Novo Nordisk across the line on Thursday, crossing the line in the same time as stage winner Damiano Cima of Italy on a day where virtually the whole peloton and all 22 teams took part in the sprint.

Irvine races as a stagiaire in the Tour of China I, and the all-round athlete from Australia has come up entirely within the Team Novo Nordisk development program based in Athens, GA. The 19 year old Australian raced in Estonia at the Baltic Chain Tour with his Devo Squad teammates in August and then came across to the Pro Team earlier this month.

Friday is a rest day at the Tour of China I, and the whole peloton will transfer some 600km south to Xinning Langshan, a trip expected to last more than eight hours, before Saturday’s seventh and final stage in the first week of the two-part Tour of China.

Declan Irvine:

“Stage 6 is done and dusted. 113km, very flat, very, very fast. It ended up being a bunch sprint, exactly like we thought. All of us came together at the end to lead out Mehdi, and it went perfectly. We did really good as a team, and everyone was doing exactly what they had to. But several teams were fighting for position, and there just wasn’t enough space for 22 teams.

We’ve got stage 7 still go, so hopefully it all comes together for us there. Tomorrow we have a 9-hour transfer, so a long day in the car. But it’ll be a good day resting, just watching movies and kicking back, talking to the guys and having a bit of fun getting to see China. So I’m pretty stoked.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Damiano Cima (Nippo – Vini Fantini – Europa Ovini): 2:31:59

2nd: Benfatto (Marco Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec): ”

3rd: Juan Sebastián Molano (Manzana Postobon): ”

23rd: Declan Irvine: same time as Cima


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Video

Stephen Clancy breaks down the final stage of the 2018 Tour of China I. “We were fine-tuning the sprint train, piecing it together day by day. Today was definitely the most successful when we put it together.”

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2018 Tour of China I - Stage 7

Race: 2018 Tour of China I, Stage 7

Location:  Xinning Langshan / Langshan, China

Distance: 107.2 kilometers

LANGSHAN, CHN – The first half of a two-week, two-race event in China finished on Saturday for Team Novo Nordisk, as the world’s only all-diabetes professional cycling team held on for a fast finish to the Tour of China I.

Mehdi Benhamouda found himself behind a long line of teammates coming into the final kilometers, and rose to the final kilometers of competition together with a great wall of riders all sprinting for the win. The French rider finished in the same time as stage winner Manuel Penalver of Spain.

After seven stages the peloton will rest on Sunday and then start the Tour of China II on Monday with a short individual time trial in Xinning Langshan, a mountainous district full of rivers, wind-carved stone gorges and tourist infrastructure built to attract domestic and foreign visitors.

The Tour of China II will include the opening prologue and five mostly flat stages over the next week, plus a rest day on Friday, September 21 to accommodate a massive 1150km transfer by bus.

Stephen Clancy:

“It ended up in a sprint like we expected. We went out a circuit for the first 40km, and we worked for Mehdi at the end. We’re pretty happy with the week here. We were fine-tuning the sprint train, piecing it together day by day. Today was definitely the most successful when we put it together. So we’re excited for Tour of China II to see if we can try and improve on what we developed here.”


Gallery:


Results:

1st: Manuel Peñalver (Trevigiani Phonix – Hemus 1896): 2:38:33

2nd: Steele Von Hoff (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team): ”

3rd: Jianpeng Liu (Hengxiang Cycling Team): ”

21st: Mehdi Benhamouda: “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

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