Lampre’s Kump makes it two straight at Qinghai Lake

PINGLIANG, China—Just 24 hours after capturing his first win of the 2016 season, Slovenian Marko Kump (Lampre-Merida) claimed his second with an impressive stage 10 victory in Pingliang, China, at the end of a brutal 240km day in the saddle – and the sun – at the 15th ‘Qinghai Rural Credit Cup’ Tour of Qinghai Lake (UCI 2.HC) on Wednesday, July 27.

Last year’s points champion and five-time stage winner crossed the finish first over fellow two-time stage winner and current blue jersey holder for ‘best Asian rider’ Yevgeniy Gidich (Vino 4ever SKO) and stage 8 winner Nicolas Marini (Nippo-Vini Fantini). The victory moves the 27-year-old into second place on the race’s all-time stage winner list with seven wins – just one behind leader and fellow Lampre rider Sacha Modolo (ITA).

“It was good to get the win yesterday,” Kump told Eurosport. “Today was a hard day physically with the heat and the length of the stage, but mentally I would like to say it was better because I had already won a stage, so the pressure I put on myself wasn’t as bad.

“But it’s never like that, because once you get a taste of winning you always want more.”

The Italian-registered UCI WorldTour team has already tripled its win tally from last year, when Belarusian Ilia Koshevoy recorded Lampre’s lone victory. Federico Zurlo (ITA), who was one of six riders in a 100-kilometre break on the day, jumpstarted the team’s first of three wins in four finishes with a thrilling stage 7 win in Qingshizui.

“Guys on the team are really close,” explained Kump. “The team morale is on the highest level right now. As I said yesterday, ‘I hope we get more wins’ and we did.

“Today was perfect day for us with one guy in the breakaway,” he continued. “We didn’t do anything in the bunch and we were just waiting for the finale … the guys helped me during the whole stage – it was perfect.”

Joining Zurlo, were riders Andriy Vasylyuk (Kolss-BDC), Alexandr Shushemoin (Vino 4ever SKO), Dadi Suryadi (Terengganu Cycling Team), stage 9’s most aggressive rider Connor McCutcheon (Team Illuminate) and his successor Carlos Quintero (China Continental Team of Gansu Bank). All riders filtered back the bunch inside the final 20km, with Vasylyuk and Quintero the final two being caught with less than 3km to go.

Still no change in either the general- or points classification, with Ukrainian Vitaliy Buts (Kolss-BDC) maintaining his grip on both jerseys since he slipped into yellow after stage 3 and into green after his stage 4 win in the race’s namesake stage. Teammate and stage 6 winner Sergiy Lagkuti drops from one to four seconds back in second place, while Alberto Cecchin (Team Roth) loses three seconds to remain in third (+0:25) with just three days remaining in the 13-stage, 1,916km UCI Asia Tour road race.

Stage 10 Classification

1. Marko Kump, SLO, Lampre-Merida, 5:31:08

2. Yevgeniy Gidich, KAZ, Vino 4ever SKO, s.t.

3. Nicolas Marini, ITA, Nippo-Vini Fantini, s.t.

General Classification

1. Vitaliy Buts, UKR, Kolss-BDC, 38:36:09

2. Sergiy Lagkuti, UKR, Kolss-BDC, 0:04

3. Alberto Cecchin, ITA, Team Roth, 0:25

Classification Leaders

Race Leader (Yellow Jersey): Vitaliy Buts, UKR, Kolss-BDC

Points Leader (Green Jersey): Vitaliy Buts, UKR, Kolss-BDC

Mountains leader (Polka Dot Jersey): Mauricio Ortega, COL, RTS-Santic

Best Asian Rider (Blue Jersey): Yevgeniy Gidich, KAZ, Vino 4ever SKO

Most Aggressive: Carlos Quintero, COL, China Continental Team of Gansu Bank

Teams classification: Kolss-BDC, 115:52:37