For the guys from BIKE AID, the fifth stage of the Tour of Poyang Lake was very hard work. Also because it was about two main goals that should be realized: on the one hand to hold the bunch together for a possible sprint and lead Tino Thömel out in the end, but most important to defend the lead in the general classification.And as always, the team of the overall leader has the "duty" to lead the bunch from the front and to control or bring back any break-away groups.
This means very hard work for the guys, because if you spend all day "in the wind" and have to react to all attacks, this costs a lot of power that you'll miss in the end. Nevertheless, the guys from BIKE AID managed very well and so the field could be largely controlled so that a sprint should arrive. However, 2 kilometers before the finish line, 3 men could break away from the bunch and reached the finish with 4 seconds ahead, so Tino Thömel remained "just" a fifth place despite a strong sprint.
Nevertheless, the goal to defend the lead in the GC could be achieved. "It was a very difficult day today, but the guys worked very well and we rode well together as a team, and I was never afraid that the GC would be in danger," said Nikodemus Holler after the finish line.
"It 's a pity that we had a lot of work to do today and we did not have Matthias and Patrick in the finale, so the 3 men got away.Otherwise I think another podium would have been done today." Tino Thömel explains.
Nikodemus Holler continues to lead the Gc, followed by team mate Suleiman Kangangi from Kenya. The 18-year-old Salim Kipkemboi still ranks in fifth place.
