author：qinghaihu publish time：2023-07-12
Frank Van Den Broek savoured his first professional victory finishing solo into Menyaun for stage four of The Tour of Qinghai Lake.
The young 22-year-old Dutchmen was simply too strong today dropping his only break away companion Stefano Gandin (CORRATEC SELLE ITALIA) 12km from the finish, adding a second stage win to ABLOC-CT’s Tour of Qinghai Lake.
Rain and cool temperatures greeted riders at the sign on this morning in Huzhu although riders were focused towards the 189km to Menyuan that featured three intermediate sprints and a singular category one climb at 43km into the stage.
At 24km a group of nine riders established a two-minute lead, that quickly dwindled as the peloton driven by TEAM MEDELLIN – EPM aimed to protect race leader Wilmar Zapata.
Despite the tempo being pushed from behind Van Den Broek and Gandin keep the peloton at bay, the Italian rider claimed the maximum King of the Mountains points on offer.
The climb took riders up to 3,500m high bringing mist and cloud cover that made the decent more demanding due to poor visibility.
The poor conditions didn’t affect the leading duo, they pushed onwards towards Menyuan opening a three-minute gap despite a chasing peloton driven by TARTELETTO-ISOREX and BURGOS-BH both vying for a bunch sprint.
An inform Van Den Broek dispatched of Gandin on an uphill rise 12km from Menyuan but the Italian held on for second whilst TARTELETTO-ISOREX efforts weren’t in vain as Thimoty Dupont won the sprint for third rounding out today’s podium.
Halfway through 2023 Tour of Qinghai Lake and the yellow leaders jersey stays on the shoulders of Wilmar Paredes Zapata for Team Medelllin-EPM and the blue jersey for best placed Asian rider stays with Lyu Xian Jing of China Glory Continental Team.
Whilst GREEN PROJECT-BARDIANICSF-FAIZANE will keep the green points jersey on the shoulders of Henok Muluebrhan and Alessio Neiri maintains the polka dot jersey.
Tomorrow’s stage takes the rider from Menyuan to Qilian, 170km long stage consisting of two intermediate sprint points and one category one climb taking riders up to 3767m high.
