Mizbani beats doubts, heat to win 4th stage

Mizbani beats doubts, heat to win 4th stage

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

There have been four stages and four different winners at the
Dji Sam Soe Tour d'Indonesia cycling race, with Ghader Mizbani
taking the fourth stage between Semarang and Yogyakarta on
Thursday.

Mizbani and teammate Lai Kuan Hua of Taiwan made it a one-two
finish for the Giant Asia Racing Team, with Llyod Reynante of
Pagcor Casino Filipino rounding out the podium with his third-
place finish.

The 29-year-old Iranian was the fourth different rider to
chalk up a stage win at the nine-stage 1,503-kilometer tour that
will culminate in Denpasar, Bali. The opening three stages were
taken by Indonesian Amin Suryana, Yevgeny Yakovlev of Kazakhstan
and Bernardo Luzon of the Philippines.

Mizbani's time of four hours, 49 minutes and 51 seconds in the
147.7-kilometer stage on Thursday was an impressive four minutes
and 19 seconds better than Lai and Reynante.

After some cautious riding in the previous stages due to a
troublesome injury, Mizbani overcame self-doubt and the heat over
the mountainous route, to live up to his status as one of Asia's
best climbers.

Mizbain was still in the main pack as the riders approached
the climbing section of the stage, and he said he was doubtful
whether his right leg, which he injured in the Hokkaido Tour,
could withstand the ascent to the summit.

"On reaching the starting point of the climb, I was doubtful
about my leg. But I took up my speed. It was a tough ride. The
weather was very hot and the headwind was very strong. My leg
proved to be fine," he said during a post-race media conference.

"I'm still feeling the pain, but it is not as tense as
before," said the rider, who won the Asian category of the Tour
de Langkawi and the climb at Qinghai Lake in China this year.

As the peloton approached the climbing section, about 70
kilometers from Semarang, Ryan Ariehan of the Indonesian National
Team and Reynante made a break, but were reeled back in by a
chasing pack that included Mizbani, Ryan's teammates Rochmat
Nugraha and Kohar, and the Polygon Sweet Nice duo of Hari
Fitrianto and Yevgeny Yakovlev.

The breakaway group then began the climb and Mizbani was able
to pull away, followed by Hari and Yakovlev. The Iranian was
unstoppable from that point and drove his way to the finish line.

Yakovlev wrested the red jersey as the best climber away from
Amin Suryana, who finished 7.20 minutes behind the winner.

Reynante's third-place finish testified to the increasing
charge by the Philippines team, whose victory in the third stage
on Wednesday was its first in an international race.

"I was happy to stay with the bunch. I held back from trying
to go after Mizbani," Reynante said about the race.

Despite its one-two finish, Giant ART is still out of the top
three in the general team classification.

Greenfields Fresh Milk, whose ace Nathan Dahlberg retained the
yellow jersey after finishing in the third group 7.16 minutes
behind the winner, tops the standings, followed by Polygon Sweet
Nice and the Hong Kong National Team.

The riders now have a one-day break before resuming the race
with the fifth stage from Yogyakarta to Madiun. Given the flat
route, sprint expert Ferinanto of Indonesia is tipped as a
favorite.

Results from the fourth stage of the Dji Sam Soe Tour d'Indonesia
from Semarang to Yogyakarta on Thursday:

Stage individual classification
1. Ghader Mizbani GNT/Iri 4:59.51
2. Lai Kuan Hua Gnt/Tpe 4:54.10
3. Llyod Reynante PCP/Phi 4:54.10

General individual classification
1. Nathan Dahlberg GFM/Nzl 16:40.02
2. Amin Suryana SSP/Ina 16:42.16
3. Wong Ngai-Cing HKG/Hkg 16:47.00

Climb winners
1. Ghader Mizbani GNT/Iri 6 points
2. Hari Fitrianto PSN/Ina 4 pts
3. Yevgeny Yakovlev PSN/Kaz 3 pts

General individual classification on climb

1. Yevgeny Yakovlev PSN/Kaz 9 pts
2. Amin Suryana SSP/Ina 6 pts
3. Ghader Mizbani GNT/Iri 6 pts