The race covered a distance of 212 kilometers, with each lap being 17.7 kilometers long, for a total of 12 laps.
On April 20th, the 2024 China Road Cycling Professional League (Puyang, Henan) concluded in Puyang County, Henan Province, with the Pingtan International Tourism Island Continental Cycling Team participating.
The race details. The course was 212 km long, starting from the Jindi River Wetland Park and heading north to Longyuan Road before turning south via Daqing Road and Zunxu Avenue back to the starting point. The third, sixth, and ninth laps around the start-finish arch were designated as intermediate sprint points, while the fifth and tenth laps passing the Dragon Bridge on Daqing Road were classified as hill points. Each lap was 17.7 km long, with a total of 12 laps. As the route was a city circuit, it was anticipated that some teams might contest intermediate sprints and hill points, but the race ultimately ended with a mass sprint finish.
For this event, the Pingtan Island team fielded Li Shuai, Jiang Zhihui, Teng Yun, Li Honghai, Long Xiuhui, Ivan, Anton, and Nikita. Before the race, the team planned for Ivan and Anton to support Jiang Zhihui and Li Shuai in their attempts to score points at the hill and intermediate sprint points, while Li Honghai and Long Xiuhui were responsible for providing timely supplies to their teammates, assisting them during the sprint battles for the best stage results.
This round attracted 13 continental teams, 4 provincial teams, and 3 club teams registered with the Chinese Cycling Association, making up a total of 20 teams with 151 riders. Among the participants were both the country’s top professional cyclists and some foreign riders who had previously raced for World Tour teams.
▲Puyang Iron Riders ensured the safety of the race
Amidst the cheers of the Puyang crowd, the race began. In the early stages, teams continually sent riders to try to break away, but other teams in the peloton would not let any potential threats escape without a fight, affecting the intermediate sprint point standings. Long Xiuhui faced an unexpected situation in the second lap and was forced to withdraw, but he quickly regained his composure and joined the team’s support crew, providing supplies at fixed points for his teammates.
In the third lap, many strong sprinters in the peloton tried to secure intermediate sprint points. With the help of his teammates, Jiang Zhihui made a move into the breakaway group to vie for sprint points, taking first place in the intermediate sprint point for Chinese riders in the third lap. Later, teammate Ivan took over and worked with the breakaway group of foreign riders, maintaining a gap of about one and a half minutes from the main group, showcasing the team’s spirit to the people of Puyang.
As the race entered the battle for the hill points, after the earlier breakaway group was caught by the peloton, the team rotated Li Shuai to compete for these points. Li Shuai did not disappoint, securing first place in the hill point (for Chinese riders) in the tenth lap, contributing to the team’s overall success.
With the race entering the final kilometer of the twelfth lap, the team’s foreign riders Ivan, Anton, Nikita, and Li Shuai protected Jiang Zhihui. Li Shuai escorted Jiang Zhihui in an attempt to break through the middle of the peloton. Unfortunately, they encountered other sprinters, resulting in a scramble, forcing them to take a different route and miss the opportunity to challenge for the podium, finishing seventh and eighth respectively.
Anton noticed Hu Haijie (from the Shenzen Xidesheng team) attacking from the right and immediately stuck close to him, crossing the line in fourth place. Ultimately, the Pingtan Island team finished with three riders in the top 10, securing first place in the team classification for this stage and second place in the Chinese riders’ team classification. Their overall team ranking improved from seventh to sixth, and they claimed first place in the team classification for this stage, moving up to third in the overall team standings.
Coach Wu Zhiling expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance in following the coaching staff’s tactics and achieving first place in the team classification for this stage. He hopes the team will continue to refine its formation and strive for better results in the next round, rewarding the fans’ support for the Pingtan Island team.
▲Tired athletes after the race