World Wide Cycling
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| The Marco Polo Cycling Club participated in the Qinghai Lake Tour 2002. This stage race was being held in the west of China in the area of Qinghai Lake. This area is at high altitude, the start will took place in Xining at about 2500 meters altitude (7,500 feet). Other stages were at an altitude between 3000 and 4000 meters! (9,000 - 12,000 feet!)
Bellow you can find a report with photos at this page.
At the same time we had a team in the Tour de China. For a report about the Tour de China click here: Tour de China.
The Marco Polo Cycling Club had the following riders in their selection:
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mongolia) Nathan Dahlberg (New Zealand) Robin Reid (New Zealand) Glen Chadwick (Australia) Peep Mikli (Estonia) Rob Conijn (Netherlands)
Team Manager: Remko Kramer (Netherlands) Coach: Peter Coates (Denmark) Soigneur/Photographer: Francis Cerny (Germany)
The team at their arrival in Xining, welcomed by girls in traditional clothing. The Tibetan scarves are a welcome gift. From left to right; Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh, Rob Conijn, Glen Chadwick, Robin Reid and Nathan Dahlberg, on their knees; Peep Mikli, Remko Kramer and Peter Coates. (Photographer: Francis Cerny)
Race program of the Qinghai Lake Tour:
July
27th Prologue 1,5 km individual Time Trial in XINING 1st
Stage Circuit race 60.9 km in
XINING ( altitude 2250 m ) July
28th 2nd Stage Race from Tao Tang He to Xi Hai Town 84 Km ( altitude 3150 m) July
29th 3rd Stage Race from Xi Hai Town to Bird Island 151,5 Km ( altitude 3150m ) July
30th 4th Stage Individual time trial 25Km in Qinghai Lake July
31st 5th Stage Race from Qinghai Lake to Ri Yue Mountain back to Qinghai Lake
Hotel 131 Km August
1st 6th Stage Race from Qinghai Lake to Long Yang Xia 114.5 Km August
2nd 7th Stage Race from Gui De to Huang Zhong 101 Km August
3rd 8th Stage Circuit Race in Xining 100Km (10 KM x 10 Laps) The following teams participated: Palmans
Collstrop (TT2) from Belgium, Team Tegeltoko from the Netherlands, Catalane
Selection from Spain, the Aquitaine Selection from France, Sturmvogel München
from Germany and the Qinghai Qingtai club from China. National
Teams from: USA, Australia, Korea,
Japan, Swiss, South Africa, Canada, Serbia, Hong Kong and China.
Report (by Remko Kramer)
23-7 After
a pleasant flight we arrived with most of the team in Beijing. We were not
complete because one of our riders had to cancel his participation. Rob Conijn
was the replacement and he had already left for China and met with Oggi (Jamsran
Ulzii-Orshikh) who came straight from Mongolia. The
organisation welcomed us and some other teams at the airport. Busses and a truck
were ready to take us to a hotel near the airport. After a quick lunch we fixed
the bicycles together to go for a ride into town. We went through the crazy
Beijing traffic to the center of town. Cruised around on theTiananmen Square and
then ran into other Marco Polo riders. We had two teams in China, one for this
Qinghai Lake Tour and one for the Tour de China. It was so funny to meet our
teammates in this 10 million-habitant city without making an appointment! 24-7 In
the next morning we went to the airport again for a two hour flight to the west
of China to the city of Xining. This city lies at a plateau near the mountain
range stretching out 1000 of kilometres towards Tibet. The city lies at an
altitude of 2500 meters (7,500 feet). At
arrival in Xining Airport we were welcomed by girls in traditional clothing,
they hang Tibetan style scarves around us like the flower chains in Hawaii. It
became clear that this was going to be a real big cycling race. There were many
teams from all over the world and the organisation had done an incredible job.
Every team had three cars available, a van for the bicycles a van for the
cyclists and a four wheel drive as team car. With the whole cycling race with
teams, staff and the whole race organisation stayed in a luxury hotel near the
centre of the city. The
city of Xining was into cycling fever! Reporters from television, radio,
magazines and newspapers were waiting at the hotel and many people asked for
autographs. Every
hour we could see advertisement clips from the race on the national sports
channel. There
were national teams, sponsorteams from all over the world, even the Belgium
Trade Team 2 Collstrop was there! We
went out for a training ride and a television team followed us the whole 3 hours
of the training. 25-7 The
riders went for another training and with the staff members and our interpreter
Lisa, we went out to the Taer Monastery. This is a famous Buddhist monastery
where the Dalai Lama had been during his education. 27-7
Nathan Dahlberg warming up for the prologue on the parking lot in Xining crowded with spectators. Soigneur Francis Cerny makes some space. (Photographer: Remko Kramer) The
prologue was held around a park in the center of Xining. The 1,5 KM course had
some technical parts with wooden ramps on and off a curb. The park was
beautifully decorated with colourful bows and huge balloons. Thousands and
thousands of people had come to watch the spectacular prologue. And spectacular
it was! There were many crashes because of the high speed and a fast turn on
concrete. Also the wooden ramps were dangerous for riders who took risks. None
of our riders took risks and all of us finished without a crash. Derek, another
Marco Polo member who rode for the Hong Kong national team and who raced with us
past months in Europe became 3rd!
Ngai Chi Wong, or "Derek" for friends became 3rd in the prologue! He had raced the past months in Europe with the Marco Polo Cycling Club in the exchange program we run with the Hong Kong Cycling Association. Here in Qinghai he competes with the Hong Kong National Team. Behind Derek you can see Oggi warming up for the prologue. (Photographer: Francis Cerny) Prologue
1,5 KM individual Time Trial in Xining 1
Alex Lavalee (Can) Canada
1.58.45 2 Marco Baggenstos (Swi) Switzerland
2.00.68 3
Ngai Ching Wong (HK) Hong Kong
2.01.36 4 Kam Po Wong (HK) Hong Kong 2.01.39 5 Max Becker (Lux) Collstrop
2.01.56 15 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
2.04.64 In
the afternoon, the opening ceremony was being held in the same park, in front of
a huge building. The whole building was decorated with sheets from the race and
flags from all participating countries. The ceremony and the following 1st stage
were broadcasted live on national television! First
the team were presented and then there was a big show with many dancing groups
and Chinese popstars.
The opening ceremonie was a beautiful show. It was broadcasted live on Chinese national television just like the 1st stage. (Photographer: Francis Cerny) The
first stage was a circuit race through the center of Xining. The total 9 KM
circuit was jam-packed with spectators. The speed was high and nobody could
break-away. Peep won enough points to get the green sprint jersey! It
was hard for the riders to leave from the circuit after the stage because of all
the spectators that wanted to see the cyclists from nearby and get their
autographs 1st
Stage Circuit race 60.9 KM in
Xining 1 Hendrik van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop
1.13.13 2 Aerden Van Der (Bel) Collstrop
3 Kam Po Wong (HK) Hong Kong
4 Sung So Ho (Kor) Korea
5 Sebastien Dulucq (Fra) Aquitaine 17
Peep Mikli (Est) Marco Polo Sprint
Classification after stage 1 1
Peep Mikli (Est) Marco Polo
28-7 In
the morning we packed everything and left Xining for a transfer to the start of
the 2nd stage in Dao Tang He at an altitude of 3250 meters (10,000 feet). The
transfer took us over the mountains to the high plateau, we drove for 2 hours on
sandy roads until we came on a new asphalt road. Here the 2nd stage of 84 KM was
started. The landscape was strange and beautiful without any trees and the big
mountains at the horizon. Peep
had a flat tire in the beginning of the race. Here we noticed that the altitude
made it a lot harder. Peep could not chase at his maximum, he had to find his
balance to prevent blowing up. After
about 55 KM the peloton broke into pieces in the strong side wind. First only
Glen made it in the first group, but soon Peep and Robin and later Oggi could
make it to the front. In the final kilometres the Yugoslavian Nikacevics and
South-African de Beer could stay away. Korean Cho Ho Sung sprinted to them in
the last 300 meters and Robin became 4th and Peep 6th. Also
in the smaller town of Xi Hai the people were really enthusiastic about the
race. So many people were collecting autographs that the riders arms became as
tired as their legs. 2nd Stage Road Race from Tao Tang He to Xi Hai Town 84 KM 1
Alexandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
1.56.52 2
Adriaan De Beer (RSA) South Africa
3
Sung Cho Ho (Kor) Korea
4
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo
0.02 5
Ian McLeod (RSA) South Africa
6
Peep Mikli (Est) Marco Polo 14
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo General
classification after stage 2 1
Hendrik Van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop
3.11.02 2
Adriaan De Beer (RSA) South Africa
0.01 3
Aleksandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
0.02 4
Alan Lavalee (Can) Canada
0.04 5
Sung Cho Ho (Kor) Korea
0.06 10 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
0.10 Sprint
Classification after stage 2 1
Peep Mikli (Est) Marco Polo
Peep in his green sprint jersey got a lot of attention from the press. (Photographer: Francis Cerny) 29-7 Again
Peep had a flat tire in the beginning of the stage. This time he had no chance
to come back in the peloton to defend his green jersey. On the long climb from
the start many riders were dropped and over the top a front group of 14 riders
was going away. We had two of our three best riders for the general
classification in this group; Glen and Oggi. Oggi won the sprints for the green
jersey so he took over the jersey from Peep. The
last part of the stage we had views on the Qinghai Lake, the largest lake of
China. The race would take us all around this lake. After
about 100 (from the 150) KM a second group of 8 riders left the peloton. Again
we had 2 riders in this group; Nathan and Robin. Later another 10 riders joined
them. Glen
became 5th in the stage and Glen and Oggi moved up to 4th and 5th on G.C. Kam
Po Wong (Marco Polo member) from Hong Kong won the stage and two Chinese riders
made the whole podium Asian. Kam Po also became leader in the stage points
jersey which he kept until the end. 3rd Stage Road Race from Xi Hai Town to Bird Island 151,5 KM Results 1
Kam Po Wong (HK) Hong Kong
3.09.58 2
Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
3
Yang Dou (Chi) China
4
Gilles Canouet (Fra) Aquitane
5 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
8
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 17
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo General
classification after stage 3 1
Aleksandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
6.21.02 2
Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
0.05 3
Yang Dou (Chi) China
0.07 4 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
0.08 5
Jamsran Ulzii Orshikh (Mgl) Marco
Polo 0.09 Sprint
Classification after stage 3 1
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 2
Peep Mikli (Est) Marco Polo After
a lunch in Bird Island, a touristic spot at the Qinghai Lake we had a transfer
to the Qinghai Lake Hotel. Here we stayed in nice little holiday houses, 5
houses for our team. At
dinner we had a nice show to watch with dancers and singers at the stage. 30-7 Today
would be an important day. With the 25 KM time trial, the general classification
would be chanced some. There was a strong headwind on the way going out and
after 12,5 KM a turning point and the same way back. Glen
had a good race and became 6th, winner was the American Tom Danielson. The
Chinese riders Wang Gouzhang and Dou Yang also did a good time trial and stayed
in front of the G.C with Wang taking the leader jersey. Oggi
had not such a good day. He is an excellent time trialist but today he was not
going great.
Glen in the Time Trial, in the background the Qinghai Lake, China's largest lake. (Photographer: Francis Cerny) 4th
Stage Individual time trial 25Km in Qinghai Lake 1 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
30.48 2
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalana
0.15 3
Gouzang Wang (Chi) China
0.20 4
Alecksandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
0.30 5
Sung Cho Ho (Kor) Korea
6 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
18
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo 24
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo General
classification after stage 4 1 Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
6.52.15 2 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
0.03 3
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalana
4
Aleksandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
0.04 5 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
0.27 9
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 17 Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo 31-7 Stage
5 of the Tour had a mountain halfway. At the climb the peloton fell into pieces.
Glen who got surprised by the hairpin turn at the start of the climb, went all
the way through the peloton. Together with Tom Danielson he reached the top. But
it was way too far to the finish, so they waited. A group of about 15 riders was
formed with Glen, Oggi and Nathan in it for Marco Polo. In the team car we went
past the chasing groups and met Glen halfway to the frontgroup on a flat tire!
We quickly changed his wheel and Glen could catch in at the second group with
Robin in it. Nathan waited and the three of them went to the front of the group
for the chase. We had a good view from he team car and saw the group being
dropped by our riders. Only one Chinese rider could hold their wheel and joined
them back to the first group! This was a real impressive demonstration of strong
teamwork! Oggi
went for the points sprint again and pulled on after this. He won the
Qinghai-Tibet cycling race last year and still hoped to do the same in this
race. He went for it and with his group he gained a few minutes. This made him
virtual leader for a while! But in the last kilometres nobody in the group
helped him anymore and some teams in the peloton chased back some time. Oggi
became 5th and only gained 1 minute on the peloton, not enough.
5th Stage Road Race from Qinghai Lake to Ri Yue Mountain back to Qinghai Lake Hotel 131 Km 1
Rodney Green (RSA) South Africa
3.30.35 2 Max Becker (Lux) Collstrop
3
Hong Chun Dea (Kor) Korea
4
Thijs Zonneveld (Hol) Tegeltoko
5
Jasram Ulzii Orshirkh (Mgl) Marco Polo 12
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo General
classification after stage 5 1 Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
9.56.43 2 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
0.03 3
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalana
4
Aleksandar Nikacevic (Yug) Yugoslavia
0.04 5 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
0.27 8
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 17 Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo Sprint
Classification after stage 5 1
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 1-8 Today
we left the pleasant place at the border of the Qinghai Lake. Stage 6 took us
land inward to Long Yang Xia. After a flat tire of Glen and a teamchase to bring
him back a frontgroup had left the peloton. The Marco Polo team chased this
group down and towards the last small climb (about 2 KM at the profile)
everybody was together. At this "small" climb, Oggi attacked and got
away with the strong Serbian Nicacevics. They blew completely, because the climb
went on for about 8 kilometers! Glen stayed calm and stayed with the first
group. In the decent to the finish, there was more bad luck for Oggi with a flat
tire. So he lost even more time. Glen became 3rd and stage winner Vocpini from
the Catalane Selection took over the leading jersey. 6th
Stage Race from Qinghai Lake to Long Yang Xia 114.5 Km 1
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalanunya
2.45.46 2
Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
0.28 3
Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco 0.Polo
4
Tom Danielson (USA) USA
0.32 5
Kam Po Wong (HK) Hong Kong
0.45 General
classification after stage 6 1
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalana
2.42.22 1 Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
0.29 2 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
0.42 4 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
0.27 5
Tiaan Kannemayer (RSA) South Africa
1.59 11
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 18 Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo Sprint
Classification after stage 6 1
Hendrik van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop 2
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo After
the stage we had transfer through the mountains. It was a beautiful tour through
the rough landscape of the high plateau. We saw many nomads with herds of sheep
and yaks. They live here in small villages of tents. Then
we descended the huge mountain that was on the program for tomorrow. We went
down for about 30 KM until we arrived in Gui De, a small village at the yellow
river. Here the people were standing along the road like during the race.
Thousands of people were watching the caravan entering their town. Between small
houses made of sand and market places, there was a huge 4 star hotel were we
could rest for the hardest stage of the tour. 2-8 The
100 KM long 7th stage of the Qinghai Lake tour started at the yellow river and
went up to 3800 meters (11,500 feet). This was a super hard 30 KM climb, which
would make the final decision for the G.C. Very
soon after the start, Nathan attacked and stayed away. The Catalane Team had to
chase and at the start of the climb, they lost rider after rider. On the climb,
Glen tested his legs and the rest of the group which became a selected group of
the best riders on G.C. When they came over Nathan, he could stay in the group
for a while, but was dropped after a few kilometres. With
the team car we passed all the small groups. Oggi, who was not going great,
fought his way up in the second group. When we came at the yellow jersey group,
this was falling apart. The American Tom Danielson had attacked and Glen went
chasing him, with another American at his wheel; Michael Carter. Glen was going
great but Danielson was simply too strong. At the top he had gained 2:30 minutes
and only towards the finish, Glen could gain back some time. Glen beat Carter
for the 2nd place at the finish, at the gate of the Taer Monestary. This was an
incredible atmosphere, in between these ancient buildings all the spectators,
the colourful cyclists and team cars. At the buildings, munch were playing music
and watched the hectic of the cycling race.
Munchs of the Taer Monestary quietly observe the hectic of the race and the huge crowds of spectators that visited the 7th stage finish. (Photographer: Francis Cerny)
7th
Stage Race from Gui De to Huang Zhong 101 Km 1 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
3.07.42 2 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
1.49 3 Michael Carter (USA) USA
4 Kam Po Wong (HKG) Hong Kong
3.42 5 Gouzang Wang (Chi) China
17
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 18
Nathan Dahlberg (NZ) Marco Polo 23
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo General
classification after stage 7 1 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
2 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo 2.10 3
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalunya
3:18 4
Gouzhang Wang (Chi) China
3:38 5 Michael Carter (USA) USA
4.17 11
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 12
Nathan Dahlberg (NZ) Marco Polo 13
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo Sprint
Classification after stage 7 1
Hendrik van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop 2
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo We
came back in the city of Xining were the last stage was a circuit race in the
city.
3-8
On a picture with friends of the Chinese national team. Marco Polo hopes to start up a good cooperation with China. There are very talented cyclists who have abilities to become good professionals in the future. Marco Polo Cycling Club will try to give them opportunities to race in Europe. (Photographer: Chinese staff) Stage
8 was a fast race with many riders that tried to break away, but nobody got
away. So it finished in a bunch sprint in front of the huge crowds in the centre
of Xining. The Korean Cho Ho Sung won this last stage and Robin became 5th. 8th Stage Circuit Race in Xining 100Km (10 KM x 10 Laps) 1
Ho Sung Cho (Kor) Korea
2.08.47 2
Marco Bos (Ned) Tegeltoko
3
Sebastien Dulucq (Fra) Aguitaine
4 Aerden Van Der (Bel) Collstrop
5
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo
Final
general classification 1 Tom Danielson (USA) USA
17.59.25 2 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
2.10 3
Tondo Xavier Vocpini (Spa) Catalunya
3.18 4 Gouzang Wang (Chi) China
3.38 5 Michael Carter (USA) USA
4.26 11
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo 12
Nathan Dahlberg (NZ) Marco Polo 13
Robin Reid (NZ) Marco Polo Sprint
Classification Overall 1
Hendrik van Dyck (Bel) Collstrop 2
Remy Mathieu (Fra) Aguitaine 2
Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mong) Marco Polo Mountain
Classification Overall 1 Tom Danielson (USA) USA 2
Cory Lange (Can) Canada 2 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Marco Polo
Team Classification Overall
1 South Africa 2 USA 3
Marco Polo Cycling Club In
the evening the race was closed with a ceremony. It was a dinner with speeches,
music and dance. After the prices were presented, some teams got a little too
excited and sprayed the champagne and beer around. 4-8 We
flew back to Beijing and said goodbye to Oggi. He left immediately back to
Mongolia where he had the national championships starting the next day with the
time trial. And defending Champion Oggi expected some concurrence since he is
trainer of some young talents in Mongolia. We hope we will be able to help them
further in the cycling sport with our team in Europe. We
had a busy program. First we went with some of the riders to the Great Wall.
This is something you can't believe, even when you stand on it. In
the evening we went into Beijing and had dinner at a Mongolian Hotpot
restaurant. This is a cook it yourself at the table dinner, with some beer and
wine we had a great time talking about all we had seen and experienced. (The
next morning we had a quick visit to the centre of Beijing, where we bought some
souvenirs at the market. Then we hurried back to the hotel to catch our flight
back to Europe.) Glen
became second on G.C., which was a great result in this high level race. However
like the Chinese Character on our jersey says; we fight with the strong
conviction to win, - so we will come back next year to win!
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