Ryan Mullen scooped a second combativity
award in China today having spent his second day up the road.
The Irish TT champion was among a four-man
breakaway that went clear shortly after the start of stage 5 at the Tour of
Guangxi (2.UWT).
On the 212.2km stage from Liuzhou to
Guilin the Irishman spent the day up the road with Taco van der Hoorn
(Jumbo-Visma), Jay Thomson (Dimension Data) and Roy Goldstein (Israel Cycling
Academy).
While they gained over five minutes, the
sprinters’ teams back in the peloton were keen to control the gap.
The same situation played out on stage 1
when Mullen also went clear in an escape group, taking the climbers’ jersey and
combativity award.
Today the gap was gradually closed, with UAE Team Emirates rider Fernando Gaviria sprinting in to win as he had done on the opening stage.
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However, before the breakaway men were
caught they began to attack each other, with Van der Hoorn getting the moves
underway.
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The riders up front were clearly
targeting the combativity award and Mullen emerged strongest in the battle to
stay out front longest.
He was last to be reeled in and as a
result secured the award for the day and another trip to the podium.
Mullen then went on to finish in 110th
place some 9:20 down as the field split a little on the run-in.
Enric Mas (Deceuninck-Quick Step) retained
the race lead having won the queen stage yesterday to the summit finish.
The Spanish rider, who was taking his first
win of the season, holds the lead by five seconds from Daniel Martínez (EF
Education First).
With just tomorrow’s final stage to
come, Diego Rosa (Team Ineos) is 3rd some 14 seconds off Mas.
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