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