author：qinghaihu publish time：2023-07-10
(By Tom Mccracken)
Nils Sinschek (ABOLC CT) has claimed his first professional victory in style riding solo into Guide, the second stage of this year’s Tour of Qinghai Lake and moves into the leader’s jersey by 15-seconds.
A day-long breakaway simmered down to just three; Sinschek (ABLOC-CT), Anton Stensby (COOP-RESOL) and Wilmar Paredes Zapata (Team Medelllin-EPM).
When the trio passed under the five kilometres to go banner was the Dutchman made his move attacking his breakaway companions and riding solo to the finish line.
The young Sinschek continued ABLOC-CT’s successful Tour of Qinghai Lake by going one better than his teammate Martin Pluto’s second place on the opening stage.
Earlier today the peloton gathered in Douba and were greeted by hot conditions, but their main focus was on the 132kilometre road to Guide which featured Mount Lajishan, the highest point of this year’s Tour of Qinghai taking the peloton up to 3,786metres.
From Douba race leader Thimoty Dupont and his team Tarteletto-Isorex were immediately on the back foot, an aggressive start resulted with four riders going clear in the first 20kilometres of racing.
The group took full advantage as the road gradually went up, opening up a healthy advantage over the peloton but the race changed pace once they reached the slopes of Mount Lajishan, as Medellin-EPM upped the pace and began attacking.
A breakaway slimmed down to just Sinschek and Stensby, the pair were caught and dropped two kilometres to the summit by Zapata and Alessio Nieri (Green Project-Bardiani CSF Faizane).
Despite being dropped the duo worked well together, catching Zapata on the descent and passed a stranded Nieri waiting for spare wheel after an untimely puncture.
Zapata received no help from Stensby once Sinschek attacked at the five-kilometre mark, forcing the Colombian to chase by himself.
The pursuit proved fruitless despite Sinschek only holidng on by handful of seconds but it was enough, soloing to his first professional victory whilst Stensby jumped Zapata 300metres to go for second place.
Sinschek was happy roll of the dice in the last five kilometres which rounded outa second successful day for ABLOC-CT.
“In the end it was a bit of a poker game with 5km to go but I knew I could go and in the last kilometre I looked back and still had a bit of a gap and I knew I would make,” Sinscheck said.
“it’s a long time since I’ve had a victory and this is a professional victory so it’s really special and I hope this week will be even better for the team”.
Although Zapata was third in today’s podium, he will wear the King of the Mountains jersey whilst the blue jersey for best placed Asian rider will go to Lyu Xianjing of China Glory Continental Team.
Riders will start in tomorrow in Guide and will face a difficult 201kilometres to Huzhu, featuring four categorised climbs and two intermediate sprints.
