Success and leadership for Aaron Gate in the Tour of Hainan

He Another perfect day in China was closed by Burgos BH won the third stage of the Tour of Hainan with Aaron Gatewho becomes the new leader of the race. The New Zealander is going through an unparalleled moment of form and did not waste the opportunity to add his ninth victory of the season in terms of road cycling and the eleventh for the purple team. In an attack just over a kilometer from the end, he surprised the peloton and reached the goal in Wuzhishan Alone, wearing the yellow leader’s jersey, as he did last week in Tibet. A prize that includes the green jersey of regularity, the mountain jersey of his partner Jambaljamts Sainsbayar and team leadership.

The seven members of the Burgos team did great teamwork across the stage. The first half day of this mountain began at a very high speed and with many attacks, which he tried to filter George Jackson. Burgos BH controls the main dangerous movements, until only two cyclists are allowed to escape. Then the fight for the mountain began and Jambaljamts Sainsbayar He scored points on the day’s four climbs, taking first place on the Shuiman climb. A haul of points that put him at the top of the classification, took the white jersey with red polka dots. Furthermore, in the second intermediate sprint Jose Manuel Diaz He got a bonus second.

Then came the decisive climb to Atouling, which picked the race and reduced the peloton to just 20 cyclists, where Aaron Gate, Jambaljamts Sainbayar, Eric Fagúndez, Rodrigo Álvarez and José Manuel Díaz. After the descent, the attacks started again and Eric Fagúndez attacked on a slope just two kilometers from the finish. The Uruguayan left with the other cyclists, but they were hit at the top. Gate took advantage of the situation and, faced with the doubts of his rivals, started strong and never looked back. He did the last kilometer at top speed, as if he were in the velodrome or in a time trial. The New Zealander crossed the finish line alone, winning and leading the peloton by six seconds.

Aaron Gate: “The whole team did a great job, coming out with all the attacks in the first half of the stage. When the breakaway was formed, we let the other teams work and the Jambaljamts add points for the mountain .When we caught up to the escapees, Mudgway attacked alone and gained a lot of advantage, but we persevered and waited until the last climb, where many teams tried to strengthen the race. .We were well represented, with four colleagues in the group. After the descent, I knew there would be a small chance to attack a slope, just over a kilometer from the finish line. Eric tried it out with the other runners me in the group. When we got to the end of the slope I saw an opportunity to get out and attack. I emptied the tank and did a kilometer time trial to the finish line , I gave it my all. It was enough to take me the victory. “Now we will try to defend the yellow jersey in the last two stages, something that will not be easy.”

Thanks to this result and the bonuses obtained these days, Aaron Gate is the new leader of the general classification, with an 18 second advantage over the second classified. José Manuel Díaz moved up to fifth position and Sainbayar, to tenth. In addition, Rodrigo Álvarez and Fagúndez remain close to the top-20. Gate also placed the green jersey of the points classification and Burgos BH leads the team ranking. The purples will try to defend these unique outfits in the demanding fourth stage between Wuzhishang and Changjiang. It will be a 150-kilometer route with three first-class ports: Atuo, which you board on the way out; Yingge, after the first hour of racing; and Jiujia, crowned 60 kilometers from the finish, giving way to relatively flat terrain to the finish line.

Damien Garcia (sports director): “We came here with a lot of ambition, not just to win a stage. That’s why we have also fought in other classifications such as mountain, in Jambaljamts, which is like a motorcycle. We become the leader of them all. It is very easy to work with a team like this. Each cyclist fully fulfills his role in the race and such is the result. There is no secret, just work well as a team. Now it’s time to take control of the race and maintain first place overall.