Neopro Richeze wins first pro race as Langkawi opens
Argentinian neopro Maximiliano Richeze (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) won the first stage of the Tour de Langkawi on Friday. The 23-year-old Argentinian edged Erki Putstep (Ag2r), Takeshi Miyazawa (Japan) and Steffen Radochla (Wiesenhof) in a sprint finish, claiming his first professional victory in his first race as a pro.
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By VeloNews Interactive
Argentinian neopro Maximiliano Richeze (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) won the first stage of the Tour de Langkawi on Friday.
The 23-year-old Argentinian edged Erki Putstep (Ag2r), Takeshi Miyazawa (Japan) and Steffen Radochla (Wiesenhof) in a sprint finish, claiming his first professional victory in his first race as a pro.
Most had expected a bunch sprint to end the short, flat 81.1km stage from the Kuala Lumpur Tower to Rawang. But a 24-man break took off before the first intermediate sprint at 36km, near Sungai Buluh, and by the finish, that bunch had taken a lead of seven and a half minutes over the rest of the field.
Richeze and teammate Sergiy Matveyev were among the escapees, but they didn’t consider the break a big deal.
“I joined the attack, thinking it was not a big break, but the gap slowly grew bigger and when it was six minutes, we decided to go for the win. In the end, we have an advantage of more than seven minutes. It’s a good result for me, but not exactly good for the team,” Richeze said.
Ceramica actually brought Richeze to the Tour de Langkawi as a lead-out man for his countryman, sprinter Ruben Bongiorno, and Richeze says that’s still his job, though he will start the second stage in the leader’s yellow jersey.
Radochla will wear the blue points jersey, while Crédit Agricole’s Francesco Bellotti will don the polka-dot jersey as best climber. Bellotti, who finished eighth on the day, is among the contenders for the overall win.
Also finishing in the leading group were defending champion Ryan Cox and teammate David George (South Africa); 1998 Langawi winner Gabriele Missaglia and teammate Walter Pedraza (Colombia-Selle Italia); Cesar Grajales and Mark Walters (Navigators Insurance); and Bourgues Telecom’s climber, Laurent Lefevre.
Saturday brings the 164.7km Stage 2 from Tanjung Malim to Sitiawan, another flat route with three intermediate sprints and just one category four climb.
Tour de Langkawi
Stage 1: Kuala Lumpur Tower-Rawang
1. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, 81.1km in 1:43:53
2. Erki Pütsep (Est), Ag2r Prevoyance, same time
3. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Japan, s.t.
4. Steffen Radochla (G), Team Wiesenhof, s.t.
5. Angel Vallejo Dominguez (Sp), Relax-Gam
6. Elio Aggiano (I), Team LPR, s.t.
7. Gabriele Missaglia (I), Colombia-Selle Italia, s.t.
8. Francesco Bellotti (I), Credit Agricole, s.t.
9. Jean Claude Lebeau (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, s.t.
10. Cesar Grajales (Col), Navigators Insurance
Overall (after one stage)
1. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, 1:43:43
2. Erki Pütsep (Est), Ag2r Prevoyance, same time
3. Steffen Radochla (G), Team Wiesenhof, at 0:04
4. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Japan, at 0:06
5. Mark Walters (Can), Navigators Insurance, at 0:09
6. Benoit Poilvet (F), Credit Agricole, s.t.
7. Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, s.t.
8. Angel Vallejo Dominguez (Sp), Relax-Gam, at 0:10
9. Elio Aggiano (I), Team LPR, s.t.
10. Gabriele Missaglia (I), Colombia-Selle Italia, s.t.
Results
Tour de Langkawi
Stage 1: Kuala Lumpur Tower-Rawang
1. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, 81.1km in 1:43:53
2. Erki Pütsep (Est), Ag2r Prevoyance, same time
3. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Japan, s.t.
4. Steffen Radochla (G), Team Wiesenhof, s.t.
5. Angel Vallejo Dominguez (Sp), Relax-Gam
6. Elio Aggiano (I), Team LPR, s.t.
7. Gabriele Missaglia (I), Colombia-Selle Italia, s.t.
8. Francesco Bellotti (I), Credit Agricole, s.t.
9. Jean Claude Lebeau (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, s.t.
10. Cesar Grajales (Col), Navigators Insurance
Overall (after one stage)
1. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, 1:43:43
2. Erki Pütsep (Est), Ag2r Prevoyance, same time
3. Steffen Radochla (G), Team Wiesenhof, at 0:04
4. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Japan, at 0:06
5. Mark Walters (Can), Navigators Insurance, at 0:09
6. Benoit Poilvet (F), Credit Agricole, s.t.
7. Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, s.t.
8. Angel Vallejo Dominguez (Sp), Relax-Gam, at 0:10
9. Elio Aggiano (I), Team LPR, s.t.
10. Gabriele Missaglia (I), Colombia-Selle Italia, s.t.