Tour of Thailand Dec. 16 - 21, 2007

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Stage 1 - December 16: Khao Yai National Park - Nakhon Ratchasima, 146.58 km

Selections made on first stage

By Steve Thomas in Thailand

The sun was out and the skies were blue for the first stage of this year’s Tour de Thailand. Starting from the Khao Yai National Park, to the west of Bangkok, the race will take six days to cover the 999 kilometres to the northern hill city of Chiang Mai, famous for it’s elephants and outdoor activities.

Some 81 riders lined up for the race; teams including Giant Asia, Iran, Japan, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia lined up against several European and Asian Continental teams, with Iranian super climber Ahad Kazemi starting as overall favourite. The first stage started high in the park, with a 10-kilometre descent, which unfortunately wiped out three of the Indian team riders almost before the race had started. As soon as the flat lands were reached, the riders hit a nasty headwind which shredded the field to bits.

Coming into the finish two riders were just a few seconds clear of a twenty plus strong lead group, which contained most of the pre-race favourites. The sprint for the first stage win and the opening leaders jersey went to Thai national team rider Prajak Mahawong, while the second half of the field trailed in some five minutes later.

Stage two will see the race hit the first real hills, which should shake things up some, possibly in the favour of the strong-climbing Iranian team.

Cyclingnews Dec. 17, 2007

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Stage 2 - December 17: Nakhon Ratchasima - Khon Kaen, 184.8 km

Masahiko sprints to victory

By Steve Thomas in Thailand

Mifune Masahiko (Matrix Powertag) gave victory to Japan by sprinting to the win on stage two of the Tour of Thailand after a long, hot and flat day in the saddle in Northern Thailand. Under clear skies, the sun beat down on the riders for the 184.8 kilometre long route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Mai.

Stage two, despite misunderstood translations to the contrary, was in fact a flat day, and the mountains still lie ahead. With nothing to stand in their way, the riders put on a fast and furiously tough day of racing.

From the start, the Thai national team went on the attack, despite defending the yellow jersey of their team rider Prajak Mahawong. The chase resulted in a split in the field, with a large breakaway group going clear early on. With around 30 kilometres to go the group had a clear six minute lead, but the heat and the wind was taking its toll and the numbers had been whittled down to eight. With teams such as Iran and UAE not represented, the chase went into last-minute overdrive, crushing the lead and reeling the break back in within just a few kilometres.

Coming into the finish there were a couple of promising attacks, but the straight and open run to the line meant it was a tough task to stay clear, and a bunch sprint was to finish the day off. Japanese Matrix team rider Masahiko proved fastest, coming to the line half a bike length clear of Philippines rider Warren Davadilla to take the stage.

The overall lead stayed with Mahawong, although the local who races with the Japanese Nippo team doubts he will hold it for long; "I'm not so great in the hills, I think the riders from the Philippines could be the ones to watch." Translations permitting those hills will start on stage three.

Cyclingnews Dec. 18, 2007

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Stage 3 - December 18: Khon Kaen - Loei, 210 km

It was anticipated that today's third of six stages in the Tour of Thailand would be the first hilly stage of the race, and that it would cause major changes in the overal classifications, however this turned out to be only partially correct. The route turned out to be fairly flat, which confused many riders, but did little to affect a marathon day of hard racing in the heat.

From the drop of the flag the attacks started, with Thailand All Stars team rider Jatuphoom Lekhawat going away in the opening kilometres for the second day in a row. This time, however, he was shadowed by Kuota Senges rider Bjorn Glasher. The duo opened up a huge gap, reaching a maximum of 17 minutes at one point.

Glasher had gone away in search of KOM points and the first mountains jersey of the race, but the pair soon found that the KOM was no more than a molehill, and so they kept going. With 30km to go the chase began in earnest, with the Iranians doing much of the damage. For a while it looked like the breakaway duo would be caught, but after nearly the entire stage out front Glasher crossed the line un-challenged, while Jatuphoom took over he race lead for his efforts.

Cyclingnews Dec. 18, 2007

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Stage 4 - December 19: Loei - Chattakarn Waterfall National Park, 214 km

Kazemi wins "toughest stage"

By Steve Thomas

It was all change today in the Tour of Thailand. The race finally hit the mountains - and in no uncertain style. The stage distance was epic in itself - 214 kilometres, but add in the terrain and it became one of the toughest days racing ever seen in Asia. Eventual winner Ahar Kazemi of Iran confirmed, "It's the toughest stage of any race in Asia, and I've ridden most of them. It was very long and hot, but the hills were really tough. They were very steep and long, and none stop; there was no rest in between them."

This was the first time this particular route had been used in the Tour, and it proved to be epic, if not too epic for many riders. Within an hour of racing the climbing started, gently at first, but then the riders hit the first of the serious climbs, an ultra steep beast which forced some riders to their feet. And that was just the start of it. The field ripped apart at the seams with the relentless climbing, and as anticipated the Iranians were at the head of affairs, along with Asian veteran Tonton Susanto.

By the time the late afternoon finish came along, after more than six hot hours in the saddle Kazemi crossed the line ahead of Susanto and fellow Iranian Jahanbanian Hossein. With two long hard days ahead, the trio also comfortably hold the top three positions on GC.

yclingnew Dec. 19, 2007

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Stage 5 - December 20: Uttaradit - Phayao, 176.1 km

For standings click http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id= ... hailand075