Tour de Bintan: Stage 3

Stage 3 (38km)

In between stage 2 and 3 there was a good 2hrs break, so after stage 2 we headed straight back to our room to get a bath, some food and rest. During the break, my dad came to visit our team with his friend and family. Before we know it, we were in our (still) wet jerseys and off to the start line for the 3rd and final stage of Tour de Bintan.

Dad's friend and family

Stage 3 was short and we believe it was going to be fast and full of attacks as it's the last chance for those who wants to have a crack. True enough, Nick Swallow (Cycleworx) and 2 others went out straight from the get go. Bikelabz took control of things as the have the KOM jersey worn by Zamri and new Yellow jersey leader worn by Saiful after a well deserved stage 2 win. The wind was very strong so the pace wasn't very high and sitting in the pack was easy. That would mean a very hard and fast finish as everyone would be fresh. Francis tried for the intermediate Ace sprint but it was never easy against Zamri, who is an excellent sprinter, and having to go from the back of the pack to the front took out quite a bit of energy from him. But it was still a try worth going for.

In the end, stage 3 ended up in a bunch sprint and our team finished safely once again. I think our team did well given depth and strength we had compared to other big teams. It was also the first stage race we are doing together. Francis, though dropped out of top 10, still finished 14th overall which was a very good result for the team and for himself! And Robert was amazing throughout the 3 stages! Always very active at the front, pulling, going in the breaks, water duties, KOM, Ace sprints, final sprints, this man does it all! And Amos, being Amos, was always unlucky with flats and cramps, lost time from the main pack EVERY stage, but did well to finish the race! ;)

All in all, it was a good short weekend race, very well organised, water support was brilliant this time, made lots of new friends, but just a bit expensive. I hope it'll be a good preparation for Tour de Poyang Lake in 3 weeks time. Now i need to get a good rest and prepare for my final exams! Also, to find my legs back...

New Spanish friends from CCCamp

Stage 3 data