Sun, July 01, 2012
GONGHE, Qinghai Province, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Hossein Alizadeh from Iran's Tabriz Petrochemical Team (TPT) triumphed Sunday at the third stage of the 11th Tour de Qinghai Lake, putting on the yellow jersey.
He was also awarded the blue jersey and polka dot jersey, which represent the best Asian rider and best climber, respectively.
The green jersey, symbol of the best sprinter, went to Luka Mezgec from Slovenia's SAVA (SAK).
The third stage started at downtown Xining, capital city of Qinghai Province, and finished at Qinghai Lake, covering a total distance of 147 kilometers.
During the four-hour race, the maximum altitude of which topped 3,445 meters above sea level, the cyclists went through a variety of weather conditions, including blazing sunshine, strong wind and heavy rain.
"This stage posed a great challenge to riders' climbing skills," said the race's commentator Qiu Jijin, adding, in particular, that Chinese rider Dong Xiaoyong "did a very good job" in closely following the lead pack.
This year's Tour de Qinghai Lake will last 14 days and cover 2,680 kilometers, with the average altitude reaching 2,391 meters above sea level and the maximum standing at 3,865 meters. For the first time, it will span northwest China's Qinghai Province, Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
