Tour deLangkawi

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

How is RSA going to go in the Tour de Langkawi?  Starts in Malayasia on Feb 1. 8)

The SA lads have done well there in the past on national level. I think they came in 6th last year (not sure).
Mr. Hunter will be in Mapei colours this year.

That race is also the first big race for iTeamNova  ;)

Results for the first stage are as follows;

1. Robert Hunter (RSA) Mapei-Quick Step                     24.57,17 (48.81 km/h)
2. Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo             0.43,19
3. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Canada                                0.45,06
4. Artour Babaitsev (Rus) Team Nürnberger                    0.46,70
5. David Canada Garcia (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step                0.51,86
6. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                        1.11,18
7. Jorgen Bo Petersen (Den) Team fakta                       1.14,01
8. Charles Wegelius (GBr) Mapei-Quick Step                   1.15,78
9. Hernan Dario Munoz (Col) Colombia-Selle Italia            1.22,92
10. Luca Scinto (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                       1.23,05

Stage 2 (cyclingnews.com )

1 Robert Hunter (RSA) Mapei-Quick Step                  4.19.40 (42.96 km/h)
2 Antonio Salomone (Ita) Index-Alexia Alluminio
3 Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
4 Lubor Tesar (Cze) Team Nürnberger
5 David Fernandez Domingo (Spa) Relax-Fuenlabrada
6 Wesley Van Speybroeck (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
7 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Mobilvetta-Formaggio Trentini
8 Enrico Degano (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
9 Allan Bo Andresen (Den) Team fakta
10 Linas Balciunas (Ltu) Ag2r Prevoyance
11 Mario Traversoni (Ita) Mobilvetta-Formaggio Trentini
12 Jurgen Werner (Ger) Team Nürnberger
13 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Japan
14 Alexandre Grux (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance
15 Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
16 Max Becker (Lux) Collstrop-Palmans
17 Hendrik Van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
18 Suhardi Hassan (Mas) Malaysia
19 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japan
20 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Telekom Malaysia


This Robert Hunter guy is hogging the podium  ::)

hmmm, the 'Pit Bull' is looking strong. Looks like this might turn into an interesting contest?

http://www.tdl.com.my/race/pix/photo/s01/pix/25.jpg

Robert Hunter ahead by 55 seconds after Stage 3. 8)

Hunter 2nd in Stage 4. Now ahead by 1min 39.

......but can he climb?

Apparently the Fourth stage is a climbers stage (Cat1), and he did well, but he is more suited to sprinting. I think the climbs could take their toll, tho. Depends if his team can help him.

From the TDL site:
Sprinters will have to take a back seat as the Tour enters the fourth day with the Tapah-Bentong route providing climbers a chance to hog the limelight. The 176 km journey which starts off in Jalan Raja in Tapah takes riders to the first real climb of the race, a Category 1 Frasers Hill gap climb which could split the peloton as they enter the finishing point in Bentong (which is just 50 kms away from the top of the Gap). A change in leader's jersey is most likely!

Well he must be goin pretty good atm....

Hunter 1min 49 secs after Stage 5.  There's a Colombian in pursuit.  Now they can climb.  Word has it that Allan Iacuone from iTeamNova.com might be on the move.  Don't know anything about him. :-/

He was aussie road champ a few years ago, i dont know that hes won a whole lot apart form that. He's one of those guys thats always there at the end of a tough race  :)

I used to see him around at a few races several years ago, he seemed like an ok sorta guy, never met him though.

cheers!

Hunter takes stage 5! :o

he must be on EPO.....thats it everyone from south africa is banned  from this forum......no more wining (cricket included)  ;D

Hey vo2 arnt you related to this guy in some round-a-bout way?

Thank God I'm not from SA! I'm just visiting! ;D

My niece (somewhere along the line from my mothers side) is dating Robert's brother. I believe they are trying to organise me an autographed jersey. Wish I could get my hands on one of those yellow jerseys he's racking up in Malaysia at the moment! ;)

Taken from Cyclingnews.com

Those riders in the know, and in the hunt for overall honours, had different ideas, and the chasing peloton was put under extreme pressure. Early on in the climb a group of 15 went clear, and it seemed as though this was going to be the end of the sprinter Hunter's reign supreme in the race.  

No sooner had the group opened a decent gap than the race radio announced that the swift finishing South African, sporting the maillot jaune had attacked the peloton, and was closing in on the breakaway group, and this on a first category climb!

It didn't take long for Hunter to bridge the gap, which must have shocked many, and dashed the hopes of those who supposed that today was elimination day for the Mapei rider. Hunter, a renowned sprinter, who has already taken a crushing time trial victory and a bunch sprint on this race has now shown that he can climb too, and with just one beast of a climb left between Bentong and the KL finish, could he take the overall honours in a race previously dominated by climbers?

Hunter is very impressive indeed, but I still don't see him as the overall winner. That climb to the finish of stage 9 seems to be a killer. Looks like Hernan Dario Munoz is in an excellent position to win this year.

Ploner, don't you think that Hunter will have enough of a lead by the time they hit stage 9? All he will have to do stay in contact with the climbers and he can pull it off? Maybe the Mapei team can lead from the front and control the race?

Admin, you mention performance enhancers. It's a wonder an enquiry hasn't been launched because of his form at the TDL? ::)