MTN-Qhubeka. Photo: Mark Squire / MTN Qhubeka
MTN-Qhubeka powered to a win in the team time trial during the fifth stage of the Tour of Korea on Thursday.
This is the second stage victory at the event for Africa’s first Professional Continental team after Kristian Sbaragli won the opening stage.The team maintained a steady pace to cover the 25.5km course in a time of 35 minutes and 19 seconds.
MTN-Qhubeka was initially fourth fastest at the intermediate time check, 46 seconds down after navigating through the first hilly part of the course.
The deficit was turned around during the second half to cross the line with the best time, just one second ahead of second placed Champion System. Rapha Condor JLT finished third on the day.
“Our strategy from the start was to keep it nice and steady to the first climb, get over that intact and drive hard between the climbs,” said sports director Kevin Campbell.
“Then we wanted to keep a good tempo on the second climb and then, at the top, full-gas until the finish.”
Campbell said the whole team performed well on the climbs.
“After the climb, everybody gave it their all; Martin Wesemann and Johann van Zyl were driving it really well and Louis Meintjes was also going superbly on the flat stretches.
“Every rider contributed, even Kristian Sbaragli. He’s no TT specialist but he was driving as hard as the rest – I was very pleased with that.”
Sbaragli retains the blue jersey as the leader of the points classification and remains seventh on the general classification.
“When we came into the Tour we did nominate Dennis van Niekerk and Louis as our GC guys because we couldn’t come into a race in Asia with one contender; the racing is just too unpredictable.”
Campbell said their strategy had worked out well. “The way the racing has worked out, Dennis has been the right man in the right moves at the right time.”
He said Sbaragli’s strong showing in the time-trial meant he was also now a likely contender.
“If he’s high up on GC after this we will make sure he stays there, if not improves.”
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