Fuji-Servetto's Kessiakoff places 4th during Queen Stage
Sweden’s Fredrik Kessiakoff from FUJI-SERVETTO placed fourth in the Tour of Langkawi’s general classification after a magnificent performance in the race’s Queen Stage, a 102-km route from Petaling Jaya to the 25-km, special-categorized Genting Highlands.
The Nordic rider, who took up racing on the road this season after many years of domination across the world mountain-biking circuit, showed his conditions on climbing and hobnobbed within the best grimpeurs, getting his tempo faster and faster when approaching the finish and overcoming quite some rivals in the last kilometers. Kessiakoff only fell short to chase the day’s winner, new race leader José Serpa (Diquigiovanni) as well as Australia’s Jai Crawford and Venezuelan Jackson Rodríguez, who almost got brought back by Kessiakoff in the last moments, but afforded himself a better sprint and earned some valuable bonification seconds that might keep Kessiakoff out of podium chances. Kessiakoff is now 4th, 7 seconds behind the Venezuelan.
The FUJI-SERVETTO squad not only shined with Kessiakoff and Juanjo Cobo -13th in the stage and 12th in the GC-, but they also were main players in the break of the day, as veteran Daniele Nardello broke apart in the 25th kilometre, along with Marcel Wyss (Cervélo), and was reached by the peloton at the first slopes of today’s climb. The Malaysian stagerace will take its second-to-last journey tomorrow, as the surivors are taken on a 147-km trip from Batang Kali to Shah Alam.
RESULTS:
14th LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI
5th stage:
1. José Serpa (Diquigiovanni) 2.58.56
2. Jai Crawford (Australian National Team) 0.23
3. Jackson Rodríguez (Diquigiovanni) 0.41
4. Fredrik Kessiakoff (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.44
5. Johann Tschopp (BBox Bouygues Télécom) 1.12
…
13. Juanjo Cobo (FUJI-SERVETTO) 4.03
30. Arkaitz Durán (FUJI-SERVETTO) 8.42
42. Davide Vigano (FUJI-SERVETTO) 10.47
50. Daniele Nardello (FUJI-SERVETTO) 11.44
61. Hilton Clarke (FUJI-SERVETTO) 14.05
General Classification:
1. José Serpa (Diquigiovanni) 19.36.19
2. Jai Crawford (Australian National Team) 0.27
3. Jackson Rodríguez (Diquigiovanni) 0.47
4. Fredrik Kessiakoff (FUJI-SERVETTO) 0.54
5. Johann Tschopp (BBox Bouygues Télécom) 1.22
…
12. Juanjo Cobo (FUJI-SERVETTO) 4.13
29. Arkaitz Durán (FUJI-SERVETTO) 8.52
42. Davide Vigano (FUJI-SERVETTO) 10.57
49. Daniele Nardello (FUJI-SERVETTO) 11.49
58. Hilton Clarke (FUJI-SERVETTO) 14.15
Posted: 2/15/2009 6:52:45 PM by
austadmin