Points leader Örken picks up second stage win at Qinghai Lake

DINGXI, China—Despite starting the day “with bad legs” following a well-deserved rest day at the 16th Tour of Qinghai Lake (2.HC), Turkish Olympian Ahmet Örken managed to fight back to the lead group to take the bunch sprint victory on Stage 10 in Dingxi, China on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Torku Şekerspor rider from Konya had already claimed one stage win already during the 13-stage UCI Asia Tour road race widely regarded as the unofficial “fourth grand tour of cycling” with a thrilling victory on the namesake fourth stage finish at Qinghai Lake.

Örken has also posted a third-place result on stage Xining. 

“I did not feel good at the start of the race,” Örken told Eurosport. “I had bad legs. I didn’t have the form physically I wanted, but I still head a head for winning.

“I believed I could overcome and today I did with a lot of help from my team, who did a very good job. Everybody worked very hard.

“It’s funny, I feel bad but I still won … I am very happy.”

Örken records the seventh win of his pro career, and extended his lead to 10 points over Kazakhstan rider and two-time former Qinghai Lake stage winner Yevgeniy Gidich (Vino-Astana Motors).

“I thought I lost the green jersey at the intermediate sprint,” said Örken on his second-place finish at the sole intermediate sprint won by Gidich at the 48.7-kilometre mark of the 148km stage from Songmingyan. “But after the sprint, I only think to finish the race. This win is very important to me and we have two stages remaining that suit me and I want at least top three results in both of them.

“I will continue to defend the green jersey until the end.”

For the 21-year-old Gidich, who started racing bicycles at age 13 and is expected to serve as a stagiaire for the Astana Pro Team in August, he is still within closing distance of the green jersey and continues to hold the blue ‘Best Asian Rider’ jersey in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the yellow and polka-dot jersey remained on the backs of race leader Yonathan Monsalve (Qinghai Tianyoude) and KOM Mauricio Ortega (RTS-Monton Racing) respectively.

Monsalve leads on general classification over the mountains leader by 20 seconds on GC, with German Bjorn Thurau (Kuwait-Cartucho.es) a further four seconds back in third.

“I am all ready to keep the jersey, and I am physically in form and I will hold on to the last stage,” said the Venezuelan  MonsalveI, who like Örken races the Rio Olympics last year. “I will be very disappointed if I do not go home with the yellow jersey.”

However Colombian Ortega, who suffered a crash on the queen mountain stage won by Damiano Cunego (Nippo-Vini Fantini) of Italy which he feels cost him the race, the tour is not over.

“I was set to win the race, but I crashed on Stage 6,” Ortega told Eurosport. “Otherwise, I would have both the KOM and yellow jerseys.

“The race profile is different from last year, but I am still doing well,” the 36-year-old 2016 KOM winner continued. “I am disappointed to not have the yellow jersey, but I blame myself.”

“Now the team will just try its best over the final stages and we are motivated to close the gap.”

1. Ahmet Örken, TUR, Torku Şekerspor, 3:04:31
2. Vitaliy Buts, UKR, Kolss Cycling Team, s.t.
3. Szymon Sajnok, POL, Attaque Team Gusto, s.t.

1. Yonathan Monsalve, VEN, Qinghai Tianyoude, 36:50:57

2. Mauricio Ortega, COL, RTS-Monton Racing, +0:20

3. Bjorn Thurau, GER, Kuwait-Cartucho.es, +0:24

Race leader (yellow jersey): Yonathan Monsalve, VEN, Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling Team

Points leader (green jersey): Ahmet Örken, TUR, Torku Şekerspor

Mountains leader (polka dot jersey): Mauricio Ortega, COL, RTS-Monton Racing

Best Asian rider (blue jersey): Yevgeniy Gidich, KAZ, Vino-Astana Motors

Teams classification: Kuwait-Cartucho.es, 110:53:14

For full results click here.