2011 Tour de Langkawi
The 16th Tour de Langkawi was a cycling stage race, which took place from January 23 to February 1, 2011. The tour was held in ten stages over a total distance of 1315.4 kilometers. The race was part of the UCI Asia Tour 2011 and classified there in the 2.HC category.
Participant
At the start, a total of 23 teams, eight of Professional Continental teams ( Landbouwkrediet from Belgium, Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, Colnago -CSF Inox and Farnese Vini- Neri sottoli from Italy, Team Europcar from France, CCC Polsat - Polkowice from Poland, Skil Shimano from the Netherlands and United Healthcare Pro Cycling from the U.S.). Furthermore attended twelve UCI Continental teams, mostly from Asia, and three teams in the race.
Route
The tour, which was hosted by the Malaysian Sports and Youth Ministry, began with a 94 kilometers long stage on Langkawi Iceland. As well as the kick-off was also the second part of the day on mostly flat terrain, which favored mass sprints at the end of the stages.
At the beginning of the third stage was waiting with the Bukit Gantang the first heavy increase, but then followed fairly smooth roads. The following day, the stretch of the coast turned inland, the thirty -kilometer climb to the Cameron Highlands was to take a preliminary decision in the fight for the overall victory. And the fifth part of the day was waiting with a thirty kilometer long pass and a mountain top finish at the Genting Highlands.
Finally, the next wave stages led by the South West of Langkawi Island, the seventh stage had another mountain top finish. On 1 February, the race then ended with a round course in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
Stages
Race course
As expected, completed the first two days of the Tour de Langkawi 2011 sections in a mass sprint. Somewhat surprising was unbeatable in his first professional race in each case Andrea Guardini of Farnese Vini- Neri sottoli and wore after his first victories as a professional cyclist and the yellow jersey of the overall leader to the mountains. At the third stage is Guardini had as day third but then the first time beaten in the sprint, as the German neo- pro Marcel Kittel ( Skil- Shimano ) was also able to retract his first professional success.
On the fourth day, the path of the field led to the Cameron Highlands, where the thirty- year-old Japanese Takeaki Ayabe from Aisan Racing Team 's first victory in an international race celebrated and captured the overall lead. Ayabe had settled with seven other riders from the 20-strong favorite group by two seconds and could not be beaten in the final sprint. On the following day it came in the Genting Highlands to sprint for the win. This time it was the Venezuelan Jonathan Monsalve, the - beat the Colombians Libardo Niño ( LeTua Cycling Team ) - also in his first professional race. Niño slipped for the yellow jersey with two seconds ahead of Monsalve ( Androni Giocattoli ). Behind the two South Americans five other riders were on a tight down on the winner, among them the later overall medalist Emanuele Sella.
On the next two stages then performed again mass sprints, where again Andrea Guardini was ahead. But the Italians on the eighth day section was again beaten by a German Robert Förster UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling standing after two top ten finishes on the two previous days, now at the top and celebrated his first victory in almost two years. Before the fourth-placed Guardini were still André Schulze and Dene Rogers. A change in leadership, there was meanwhile in the overall standings thanks to two second places at the intermediate sprints and the associated Zeitbonifikationen drove Jonathan Monsalve with two seconds ahead of the yellow jersey Libardo Niño.
Because of flooding the penultimate stage was shortened to 127 kilometers. Surprisingly, it did not come to a bunch sprint, because twenty kilometers from the finish donning a top group with eleven men from the field, including Saturday's winner Robert Förster. The Russian Boris Schpilewski from Tabriz Petrochemical Team, who had previously already landed in some mass sprint of the race among the top ten, attacked one kilometers from the finish and won the section with two seconds ahead. Jonathan Monsalve extended his lead in the overall standings on five seconds after he had moved out again three bonus seconds at the intermediate sprints. On the final leg in Kuala Lumpur was allowed to cheer for the fifth time, Andrea Guardini, the young sprinter thus won half of the sections, secured the blue jersey for the best point and celebrated an outstanding professional debut. The same was true for the Venezuelans Monsalve, who also competed in his first race as a professional cyclist and this won the same. The 42 -year-old Colombian Libardo Niño, however, was still trapped after a few days in the yellow jersey and finished the Tour in second place from Monsalves Italian team mates Emanuele Sella.