Chadwick grabs Red Jersey

15/08/2002

GLEN Chadwick of Team Down Under turned in a blistering time-trial under
the scorching Langkawi sun yesterday to grab the Red Jersey on the first
day of the Gamuda Eagle Tour.
Chadwick was a little surprised to have won because the last time he won
a title was in the Tour of Tasmania a few years ago.
Chadwick said he was in a new territory and does not know if he can
defend his Red Jersey, which he won in 12 minutes 30.30 for in the 9.2km
time-trial which started and ended at Padang Matsirat in Kuah.
"I have never held onto a Red Jersey for an entire race and I expect a
tough fight from the sprinters tomorrow (today) in the 142.6km round the
island race," said Chadwick.
"But the feeling is good as the last time I went up the podium was in
the Tour of Tasmania a couple of years ago."
Second was Gabriel Rasch of Team Krone on 12:43.10 while third was
another rider from team Down Under - Paul Redenback on 12:45.89s.
The `King of the Mountain' yesterday was Iran's Ghader Mizbani who
clocked 12:49.12 to finish fifth.
Asked if he is going to defend the jersey in the gruelling third leg up
Gunung Raya, Ghader said: "It is difficult to say at this stage because
even though this is my third time in Langkawi and I am quite used to the
hot and humid conditions, the Tour has attracted many good riders and
anything can happen.
"But I will definitely give it a try because I have always had the legs
for the mountains."
The under-23 stage and overall champion yesterday was Lars Breiseth from
Team Krone from Norway.
Breiseth clocked 12:52.96 to finish seventh overall in the time-trial
and grabbed the under-23 title. Team Krone, currently ranked 24th in
Division Three, have been competing regularly in France and are tipped to
win a few titles.
Breiseth, who got bored waiting for the other riders to finish, said: "I
waited a while, then got bored and went back to the hotel for a good
shower. I even had time to wash my clothes before coming back to the
finish line to find out that I was the best finisher in the under-23
category and seventh in the time-trial."
Today's leg starts from the Underwater World at Pantai Chenang where the
riders face a flat run. Teams will be pinning their hopes on their best
sprinters and the action is expected to sizzle over the last few
kilometres.
The 142.6km route, while very scenic, also has a category four climb at
the 81.1km mark but it is not expected to pose any problems.
RESULTS
Stage 1: 1 Glen Chadwick (Team Down Under) 12:30.30s, 2 Gabriel Rasch
(Team Krone) 12:43.10, 3 Paul Redenbach (Down Under)12:45.89, 4 MArk
Roland (Down Under) 12:48.26, 5 Ghader Mizbani (Iran) 12:49.12, 6 Wang
Guozhang (China NAtional Team) 12:50.54, 7 Lars Breiseth (Team Krone)
12:52.96, 8 Ali Reza Hagi (Iran) 12:52.22, 9 Francesco Cipoletta (Jura
Suisse Nippon) 12:57.99, 10 Tommy Evans (Ireland) 12:58.30, 11 Tanha Abbas
(Iran) 12:59.37, 12 Tore Bekken (Team Krone) 13:00.28, 13 Christian Pomer
(Austria) 13:00.53, 14 Andreas Knapp (Austria) 13:01.97, 15 Amir Zargari
(Iran) 13:03.97..... 36 Suhardi Hassan (Malaysia National Team) 13:35.95.
Under-23: 1 Lars Breiseth (Krone), 2 Tanha Saedi, Tore Bekken.
Points: 1 Chadwick 15pts, 2 Rasch 14, 3 Redenbach 13, 4 Roland 12, 5
Mizbani 12, 6 Guozhang 10, 7 Breiseth 9.
King of the Mountain: 1 Ghader 6pts, 2 Christian Pomer (Aut) 4pts, 3
Redenbach 2pts.
(END)