TNN Tested By Heavy Wind at Tour of Hainan

30 October 2017

Race: Tour of Hainan, stage 3

Start/Finish: Haikou/Chengmai, China

Distance: 155 kilometers

CHENGMAI, CHINA – Team Novo Nordisk fought heavy winds for the first half of Monday’s stage three at the Tour of Hainan, then settled in for a sprint finish after the the gusts died down near the end of more than three hours of racing.

Umberto Poli pushed back up towards another top 10 finish, thanks to teamwork that kept the young Italian rider protected when strong crosswinds threatened to split the chasing peloton into many struggling pieces.

All Team Novo Nordisk riders finished in the same time as stage winner Jakub Mareczko of Italy, who out jumped Spanish rider Jon Aberasturi and Aussie Anthony Giacoppo.

Tuesday’s stage 4 stays relatively flat, but adds distance to increase the race difficulty as the peloton of 121 riders continues clockwise around Hainan Island for the nine-day stage race.

Gerd de Keijzer:

“It was really nervous at the beginning, with heavy winds. Halfway into the race the winds died down a bit, which made it easier and less strung out in a long line. We had Umberto for the sprint, and the team did a good job to get him up close for the finish.”

Team Novo Nordisk Sport Director Massimo Podenzana:

“It was a nervous stage but not hard. Two breakaways formed today- the first was caught at 100k to go, the second just 5k to the finish. The motivation is high and every day we are one step better.”

Results: