China

Tour of Taiyuan

26 May - 30 May 2019

TEAM Pro Team

CITY Various

STAGES 6

TEAM Pro Team CITY Various STAGES 6

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(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 1

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 1

Start/Finish: Shanxi Museum, Taiyuan/ Shanxi Sports Center, Taiyuan

Distance: 200 kilometers

Atlanta, Georgia — Team Novo Nordisk began its campaign in the inaugural edition of Tour of Taiyuan on a high note with Spaniard David Lozano seizing the King of The Mountains Jersey after a mammoth day on climbing on Stage 1.

30-year-old Lozano showed his climbing pedigree on the opening Stage of Tour of Taiyuan, a new 2.2 UCI 5-stage race in China by making the day’s breakaway and racing tactically to finish the day on the podium as the KOM classification leader.

With over 3800m of climbing on the menu and three categorized climbs Lozano did very well to make the 18-man breakaway alongside his teammate Oliver Behringer. The Spaniard was 3rd in the first KOM and 4th in the second KOM and made a decisive attack on the HC climb with around 110 km to go forcing a selection in the front group. Only seven other riders managed to follow Lozano who was the first to summit the climb, thereby securing the KOM jersey with a total of 18 points.

Three other riders were able to bridge across to the leading group and in the end Lozano crossed the finishing line in 8th place. The stage was won by by American Cameron Piper (Team Illuminate).

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team will continue racing in China this Monday. Stage two, denominated the “Great Wall Stage” will take the peloton from Zuoyun Dongshan Forest Park to Datong Yungang Grottoes over 126.4 km, with only one 3rd Cat climb to overcome.

David Lozano

“Today was a 200km stage and the first 30km were pretty flat but afterwards we had 3800m of climbing packed into just 130km. It was definitely not your typical race in China. I made the breakaway together with Oliver (Behringer) and was feeling pretty strong but after four hours or so I started having some cramps and unfortunately missed out on the key move and only managed to take eight place on the stage. I was able to get the King of the Mountains Jersey. Tomorrow is a shorter stage so we should be able to keep the jersey but on stage three there are plenty of KOM’s so I’ll see how the legs feel and if I can increase my lead in the Mountains Classification”


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Results:

1st: Cameron Piper (Team Illuminate): 5:49:59

2nd: Lucca Raggio (Neri Sottoli): same time as Piper

3rd: Jeroen Meijers (Taiyuan Miogee Cycling Team): “

8th: David Lozano: “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 2

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 2

Start/Finish: Zuoyun Dongshan Forest Park/Datong Yungang Grottoes

Distance: 126.4 kilometers

Jinxiu, China — Team Novo Nordisk continues to impress in the inaugural edition of Tour of Taiyuan with David Lozano strengthening his King of the Mountains Jersey on Stage 2 that finished on the famous Datong Yungan Grottoes.

After the climbing festival in the first stage the 126.4 kilometers Stage 2 was a more benign affair both in distance and in difficulty with only a 3rd Category climb to be overcome during the day.

David Lozano set out to increase his lead in the mountains classification and the 30-year-old spaniard was successful in the attempt, increasing his points total to 19 points and extending his lead to 3 points.

Estonian Martin Laas (Team Illuminate) won the final bunch sprint ahead of Zhang Zheng (Hengxiang Cycling Team) and Lucas Carstensen (Bike Aid) winning the second stage in a row for Team Illuminate.

Lozano finished safely in the first group and keeps his 8th position in the overall classification, four minutes and 46 seconds down on the current leader American Cameron Piper (Team Illuminate).

This Tuesday the Tour of Taiyuan peloton will face a circuit style stage 3 in Wutai with three laps of a 27.8 km course totalling 83.4 km. In the finale a bunch sprint is expected however the wind could play an important role in the events.

DAVID LOZANO

“Today was a 126 kilometers stage with a lot of wind so it was very intense all day with a lot of tension in the bunch. The team always kept me in a good position so I managed to stay at the front and grab more points for the KOM jersey.”


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Results:

1st: Martin Laas (Team Illuminate): 02:59:50

2nd: Zhang Zheng (Hengxiang Cycling Team): “

3rd: Lucas Carstensen (Bike Aid): “

26th: David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk): ”


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 3

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 3

Start/Finish: Wutai/Wutai

Distance: 83.4 kilometers

Wutai, China — David Lozano kept a firm grip on his King of the Mountain Jersey on Stage 3 of Tour of Taiyuan and will head to the second part of the race in the Top10 in the overall classification.

The short 83.4 km stage comprised of three laps of a 27.8 km that included a climb called Wutai Mountain. A large breakaway of around 20 riders got away on the first lap but was always kept within the two minute range in a day when the peloton rode a fast paced race, well over the initial 47 km/h prediction.

Team Novo Nordisk rode preventively in the pack, sheltering Lozano and making sure he was always in a good position leading into the decisive kilometers. The last escapees were brought back before the Flame Rouge and the stage win was once again decided in a bunch sprint with Martin Laas (Team Illuminate) taking the spoils for the second day in a row.

Lozano crossed the finishing line safely in the main group and kept his Top10 position in the general classification which is still led by American Cameron Piper (Team Illuminate).

This Wednesday the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team will tackle a hillier 87.2 km course that includes a Cat-2 climb where Lozano will be looking to cement his KOM leadership.

David Lozano

“Today the wind didn’t play as big of a factor as in the previous stages and the pace was really high. The team kept me protected so that i could finish in a good position and make sure I wasn’t caught behind any time splits as the General Classification is so close in terms of the top 10. Tomorrow will be an important stage in terms of our objective to keep the KOM jersey and hopefully I’ll have good legs and can increase my lead in this Mountains Classification.”


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Results:

1st: Martin Laas (Team Illuminate): 01:46:32

2nd: Georgios Bouglas (Ningxia Sports Lottery): “

3rd: Luca Pacioni (Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM): “

25th: David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk): “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 4

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 4

Start/Finish: Changzhi/Taihang

Distance: 87.2 kilometers

Taihang, China — Team Novo Nordisk rode a tactically smart race on Stage 4 of Tour of Taiyuan and Spaniard David Lozano was able to retain the KOM jersey on a day the breakaway made it all the way to the finishing line.

Stage four was short but hilly and Team Novo Nordisk had all hands on deck from kilometer one to mark any riders that where a threat to the King of the Mountains classification. Eventually a nine-rider breakaway broke clear and opened a gap of around two minutes. With  no real threats to either the General Classification or KOM jersey up front Team Novo Nordisk settled in and rode attentively in the front of the peloton, keeping our Spaniard always in a good position and out of harm’s way.

The escapees took all the points available on the only categorized climb on the day and a few riders tried to attack from the bunch. Lozano followed the move but the group was eventually reeled in.

The stage win was decide in a three-way sprint amongst the strongest of the breakaway and it was Romanian Cristian Raileanu who proved to have the strongest kick and took the victory.

Making the most of his good form Lozano was fifth in the bunch sprint which secured him a 14th place on the stage.

In the King of the Mountains classification Lozano keeps the leadership with 19 points while in the GC he sits in 9th, four minutes and 46 seconds down on the yellow jersey Cameron Piper (Team Illuminate).

The world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team will continue to fly the #ChangingDiabetes flag  in China this Thursday in the “Yellow River Stage” that starts in Yongji Guanque Tower and ends in Hejin Lianchi Park covering 134.4 km and one Cat-3 climb with 40 km to go.

David Lozano

“Today we worked perfectly as a team, keeping all the riders who were a threat to the jersey in check. A breakaway of nine riders, without any dangerous guys eventually went. We rode together as a team always at the front of the peloton. At some point a few teams attacked and I tried to follow them to move up in the overall classification but the move didn’t work out. I then waited for the finish to try and do well in the final kicker. In the end I think I was fourth in the bunch. I have to thank all my teammates today who helped me to secure the jersey!”


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Results:

1st: Cristian Raileanu (Team Sapura Cycling): 01:59:17

2nd: Nikodemus Höller (Bike Aid): “

3rd:  Antoine Leplingard (DCBank Pro Cycling Team): “

14th: David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk): 00:02:14

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 5

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 5

Start/Finish: Yongji Guanque Tower/Hejin Lianchi Park

Distance: 134.4 kilometers

Hejin, China — Team Novo Nordisk put up a great team performance this Thursday on an hectic Stage 5 of Tour of Taiyuan to virtually guarantee that David Lozano wins the King of the Mountains Jersey.

Being the last stage with KOM points on offer the race was on from the gun with multiple teams setting a high pace and launching a flurry of attacks. Team Novo Nordisk was attentive and covered all the moves whilst the peloton rode nervously for nearly two hours with all attempts of a breakaway being folded.

David Lozano, who seized the polka dots jersey on the first stage, benefited from a great team effort in the lead up to the Cat-3 climb, located with 40 km to go, and kept his direct rivals in check. The points went to riders who didn’t pose a threat so Lozano mathematically guaranteed the win of the KOM jersey and will only need to finish the final stage to be proclaimed the King of the Mountains.

After the climb three riders surged ahead but ultimately the stage honours were decided in a bunch sprint with Estonian Martin Laase (Team Illuminate) overpowering the opposition and securing the third win in this race, the fourth for his team.

Irishman Stephen Clancy delivered Lozano in a good position for the final straight and the 30-year-old Spaniard sprinted to 11th on the line, a result that enabled him to climb one spot in the Overall Classification to 8th place.

American Cameron Piper will head into the sixth and final Stage in the Yellow Jersey and should win the race overall.

The inaugural edition of Tour of Taiyuan concludes this Friday with the “Ancient City of Ping Yao Stage”, a mostly flat 100km course that ends in Shanxi Sports Center.

David Lozano

“Today was the last chance to win or loose the KOM jersey and we started really fast in the crosswinds. The peloton was really nervous until the KOM so basically there was no breakaway for two hours of racing. It put a lot of pressure to fight for the KOM jersey and my teammates took the front to put everyone in the wind and secure the jersey. We didn’t take any points in the KOM but we had everything under control. In the end Stephen Clancy put me in a good position and I tried to sprint. I was 11th on the stage and I’m happy to virtually win the jersey. However, tomorrow we want to be ready to maintain, and hopefully to better, our position in the overall classification.”


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Results:

1st: Martin Laase (Team Illuminate): 02:47:01

2nd: Lucas Carstensen (Bike Aid): “

3rd:  Georgios Bouglas(Ningxia Sports Lottery – Livall CT): “

11th: David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk): “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

Gallery

(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

2019 Tour of Taiyuan - Stage 6

Race: Tour of Taiyuan, Stage 6

Start/Finish: Ancient City of Ping Yao/Shanxi Sports Center

Distance: 100 kilometers

Shanxi, China — David Lozano concluded the inaugural edition of Tour of Taiyuan as the King of the Mountains. The 30-year-old Spaniard seized the KOM jersey on stage one and defended it successfully until this Friday in Shanxi where he finished safely in the bunch thereby securing the 8th position in the General Classification.

As the 100km closing stage had no KOM points on offer Lozano simply had to finish the 100km parcours to guarantee the victory in the King on the Mountains Classification. Team Novo Nordisk rode strongly collectively to avoid any mishaps and keep Lozano safe until the end.

Four riders animated the stage by escaping after 50km of a lively and attacking racing but ultimately were caught with 4km to go. The stage win was decided in a bunch sprint with Martin Laase (Team Illuminate) proving once again that he is the fastest man in this edition of Tour of Taiyuan by powering to his fourth victory in the race.

In the hectic finale it was Italian Umberto Poli who was the best Team Novo Nordisk rider on the line, taking a 19th place in the stage.

For David Lozano, this is the second top 10 result in the overall classification this season after he finished Tour of Rwanda in the sixth position.

American Cameron Piper, who took the Yellow Jersey in the opening stage, finished safely in the bunch and comfortably won the overall classification. 

The world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team returns to action in June for the upcoming Tour of Slovenia.

David Lozano

“Tour of Taiyuan was a really great race. We had mountain stages, flat stages and breakaway stages. We had the opportunity to start in epic locations such as really cool temples and overall it was a nice experience to race here after California.

I’m pretty happy how the race went because top 10 on the GC and being the King of the Mountains from the first to the last day is really good. I have to thank all my teammates here. A big part of this result is thanks to them who always protected me and kept in in a great position.

The stage today was really crazy. We tried to attack to put pressure on the other GC guys and take some seconds at the sprint but it was a real chaos. A break finally went after 50km and we rode safely to the end.”


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Stage 6 Results:

1st: Martin Laase (Team Illuminate): 01:59:23

2nd: Georgios Bouglas (Ningxia Sports Lottery – Livall CT): “

3rd:  Andre Kulyk (Shenzhen Xidesheng Cycling): “

19th: Umberto Poli (Team Novo Nordisk): “


(Photos: ©Anne Wu)

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