ALOR STAR – Uno-X Pro Cycling Team’s sprinter Erlend Blikra heaved a sigh of relief as he finally secured his maiden pro-level win at the 2022 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) Stage 6 today.
The Norwegian bounced back from his second position in the opening stage, fourth in Stage 2, and fifth in Stage 4, to come out at the top in today’s race in 2h 49m 42s.
Blikra was among the 106 riders flagged off from George Town who ended in Alor Star, accompanied by the rainy weather covering the 120.8km route, which featured three sprint zones at Penang Bridge, Bagan and Sg Petani.
“It has been quite emotional for me, because this is my first pro (level) win. I am very happy.
“We have been trying every day now, and to finally succeed feels amazing.
“Actually, it was a bit less hectic today, I do not know if it’s because of the rain or if people are tired (and) nobody wants to take chances, but I started my sprint early and nobody could get past,” said the 25-year-old.
Blikra is the second Norwegian to win a stage in the LTdL after fellow countryman Bjonar Vestol in Johor Baru in 1999.
Meanwhile, Astana-Qazaqstan’s Gleb Syritsa came in second and Lotto Soudal’s Rudiger Selig completed the podium.
With the win, Blikra jumped to the top of the sprinters’ classification (green jersey), amassing 40 points, followed by Syritsa (39 points) and Movistar’s Max Kanter (37 points).
However, there were no changes in the other classifications as Movistar’s Ivan Sosa remains in charge of the yellow jersey, Muhamad Nur Aiman Zariff (Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team) with the red jersey (King of Mountain), and teammate Jambaljamts Sainbayar with the white jersey (Best Asian Rider).
In the meantime, national team’s sprinter Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil earned the stage best Asian rider.
In the overall standings, the 27-year-old finished the race in eleventh place, making him the first local rider to cross the finish line at Dataran Alor Setar, Kedah.
Tomorrow will be the penultimate stage of the 26th edition of the tour.
In the 90.8km-route, riders will flag off from Kuah and end in Gunung Raya, featuring two climbing zones, including a steep ascent up to the Gunung Raya summit, which is 864m above sea level. – The Vibes, October 16, 2022
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