XDS Cup Tour of Hainan stage 1 results: Jakub Mareczko wins opening sprint in style
Italian takes eighth career victory at the XDS Cup Tour of Hainan, proving himself the sprinter to beat once again in China
Making good on his pre-race expectations, Jakub Mareczko of Corratec-Vini Fantini dominated the opening day of the XDS Cup Tour of Hainan to take victory on stage 1 in a bunch sprint. It was the eighth stage victory of the Italian’s career in Hainan, where Mareczko has proved himself to be one of the quickest riders in the bunch time and time again.
The first victory of Mareczko’s career came in the Tour of Hainan some nine years ago and since then, the Italian has gone on to win 35 victories on the Asian continent, including today’s success. Behind the day’s winner, Miguel Ángel Fernández (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Martin Laas (Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team) placed second and third, respectively.
Earlier in the stage, there had been a long fight for the breakaway before Ze Yu (Hainan Wuzhishan) and Muhammad Zahin Wahhi (Malaysia Pro Cycling) formed the day’s definitive move. Although the pair were able to enjoy their moment in the spotlight, the peloton never allowed their advantage to exceed more than 1:20 and when the final 10km came into sight, the breakaway was soon reeled in.
In taking the stage victory, Jakub Mareczko will also lead the general classification and sprint classification heading into stage 2, whilst Chaohua Xue (Hainan Wuzhishan) leads the King of the Mountains classification, Kuicheng Wang (Bodywrap) sits as the best-placed Asian rider and Ze Yu (Hainan Wuzhishan) was awarded the most aggressive rider award from the opening day.
How it happened
Beginning in the bustling city of Qionghai on Tuesday morning, the 2024 XDS Cup Tour of Hainan got underway beneath clear blue skies and a rising sun. With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, stage 1 was always going to be a difficult day in the saddle, despite being the shortest day of the race.
Clocking in at 95.6km, stage 1 was to take the riders east along the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway, before returning to Qionghai via the south on a loop that looked set to suit the sprinters. As such, all eyes were on the likes of George Jackson (Burgos-BH), Enrico Zanoncello (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané) and Jakub Mareczko (Corratec-Vini Fantini) at the start, the latter of whom has enjoyed much success in Asia throughout his distinguished career.
Clocking in at 95.6km, stage 1 was to take the riders east along the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway, before returning to Qionghai via the south on a loop that looked set to suit the sprinters. As such, all eyes were on the likes of George Jackson (Burgos-BH), Enrico Zanoncello (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané) and Jakub Mareczko (Corratec-Vini Fantini) at the start, the latter of whom has enjoyed much success in Asia throughout his distinguished career.
That said, Australia’s Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) was the first to make his move after the flag drop, soon followed by Georgios Bouglas (Burgos-BH) and the Cypriot champion, Andreas Miltiadis (Terengganu Cycling Team). Bouglas, Richards and Mitliadis were able to join forces off the front, and together with Andris Vosekalns (Hengxiang Cycling Team), the four-man breakaway had established a 15-second gap over the peloton within the opening exchanges.
Through each village and town, fans lined the street to welcome the peloton to Hainan. First raced in 2006, this was to be the 15th edition of the XDS Tour of Hainan and the bunch was full of riders keen to make their impression. Never getting over 15 seconds on those chasing behind, the first breakaway of the race failed to stick and a full peloton contested the intermediate sprint outside Changpo Town Government.
It was at this point that one of the race’s star riders first showed his face. Fresh from his overall win at the Trans-Himalaya Cycling Race, New Zealand’s Aaron Gate looked to take the points and bonus seconds on offer after 17km, but the 33-year-old was pipped to the line by Maris Bogdanovics (Hengxiang Cycling Team). The Latvian was the first across the line at the sprint, followed by Gate in second place and Kuicheng Wang (Bodywrap) in third place.
Over the next 12km, the Chinese national champion, Ran Hao (Hainan Wuzhishan), tried his luck out front, but he was unable to hold on to his advantage over the top of the day’s only categorised climb. His hopes were dashed on the 700m-long ascent, but not those of his team.
Sensing an opportunity to ride his way onto the day’s podium, Hao’s Hainan Wuzhishan teammate Chaohua Xue claimed maximum points on the Cat-4 KOM and in doing so, made sure he would be wearing the red and white polka-dot jersey on stage 2. Behind the Chinese rider, Wilmar Paredes (Team Medellín-EPM) and Tegsh-bayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance) finished second and third, respectively.
There was no slowing of the pace beyond the KOM, as we awaited the first definitive breakaway of the stage. Many tried and failed to make an attack stick - Miltiadis, Quinten De Graeve (Team Novo Nordisk), Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané) and Maxime Duba (Parkhotel-Valkenburg) all included - but as the peloton made its way along the Coastal Scenic Highway, all was still to play for.
It was not until the race entered its final 50km that a breakaway was finally established, led by the aggressive instinct of the home team, Hainan Wuzhishan. Their jersey would be worn proudly by Ze Yu, who was joined in a two-man break by Muhammad Zahin Wahhi of Malaysia Pro Cycling. Theirs was a move that suited the peloton, with the pair establishing a gap of over a minute with 40km to ride.
After a breathless start to this year’s race, the next 20km would bring a sense of calm to the XDS Cup Tour of Hainan. Yu and Wahhi were able to extend their lead to a maximum advantage of 1:12 and with the chasing group leaving the coastline to approach Qionghai, the sprinters’ teams would soon start amassing their forces for an assault on the first bunch sprint of the race.
Little by little, the peloton closed the deficit to the breakaway and inside the final 15km, Wahhi was the first to be caught by the peloton. Yu fought bravely for another few kilometres but was swallowed by the rampaging pack some 11.5km from the finish. With all eyes on the sprint to come, Zanoncello’s VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané were staking their claim on the front of the peloton, not to be outdone by the likes of Burgos-BH and Corratec-Vini Fantini, both of whom were also determined to place their respective sprinters well heading into the day’s climax.
Tartelleto-Isorex had been tipped to have one of the strongest squads in the race at the beginning of the day by Corratec-Vini Fantini’s sports director, Francesco Frassi. In the end, however, it was Frassi’s own sprinter who emerged triumphant in Qionghai.
Corratec-Vini Fantani have come to this race with major ambitions, both in the sprints through Mareczko and in the general classification through Valerio Conti and Andrii Ponomar. On Tuesday afternoon, it was Mareczko’s turn to set the tone for the week. The Italian might not have an all-star lead-out team in his midst, but the 30-year-old has long since proved his devastating speed in a bunch sprint.
Plotting his own line in the final straight, Mareczko burst clear of his rivals with a little over 200m to ride and his acceleration would prove unstoppable. Such was the manner of his victory that the Italian was able to celebrate before the line, whilst his rivals could only battle it out for the minor placings. Behind Mareczko, Miguel Ángel Fernández of Equipo Kern Pharma secured second place with a bike throw, as Martin Laas of Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team settled for third.
"XDS Cup"2024 The 15th Tour of Hainan, It is jointly organized by the General Administration of Sport ofChina, the People’s Government of Hainan Province, hosted by Chinese Cycling Association, Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, Sanya City People’s Government, Qionghai City People’sGovernment, Wuzhishan City People’s Government, Lingshui Li Autonomous County People’s Government, Changjiang Li Autonomous County People’s Government, Co-organized by Wanning City People’s Government, Dongfang
City People’s Government, Ledong Li Autonomous County People’s Government, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County People’s Government, Baisha Li Autonomous County People’s Government, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County People’s Government, Hainan Sports Lottery Administration Center, Sports Events Center of Hainan Province, jointly operated by Hainan Radio, Film and Television Media Group Co., Ltd. and Tour of Hainan International Cycling Race Co., Ltd. , title sponsored by Shenzhen Xidesheng Bicycle Co. , Ltd.
