Astana rider wins another stage at Tour of Hainan

The 132.7 km stage from Lingshui to Baoting came down to an attack in the final kilometer, with a small lead group — including Thomas Silva and Nicolas Vinokurov — remaining at the front on the final 2.6 km climb.

After a series of attacks, Silva launched a decisive move to secure another victory for the team. Thomas Pesenti of Team Polti VisitMalta finished second, followed by Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) in third, while Nicolas Vinokurov, leader of the best Asian rider classification (blue jersey), came fourth.

“I would like to thank the team for the great support they gave me today. The team controlled the race from the very start — we allowed a strong breakaway to go, which took all the bonus seconds, and then neutralized it before the finish. By the start of the climb, I was in a good position, and together with Nicolas we made it into the lead group, where we had every chance to fight for the win. Everything worked out very well, and I managed to take the victory,” he said.

According to Silva, the stage was challenging due to the heat, but the team handled the task well.

“Tomorrow I will start in the yellow jersey as the overall leader. Today’s success is, above all, the result of our entire team’s effort. I would like to dedicate this victory to XDS Astana Team, as well as to my family and my country. Even though it is the middle of the night in Uruguay, I know my family is watching and supporting me. Tomorrow will be a tough stage, but I have a small lead in the general classification, so we will try to keep it,” said Thomas Silva.

Ahead of the final stage of the Tour of Hainan, Thomas Silva leads the general classification (yellow jersey), while Nicolas Vinokurov sits in sixth place.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Silva had claimed victory on Stage 2 of the Tour of Hainan.