Pruus bags Tour of Borneo title after final stage win

Peeter Pruus of Estonia celebrates after winning the 181.1km Stage Five (final) of the Tour of Borneo cycling race on Wednesday.

PETALING JAYA: Estonian Peeter Pruus rode away with Tour of Borneo title as Malaysia’s Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mazuki finished a commendable fifth in the general classification.

Pruus, who led Amirul by one minute and 21 seconds after the penultimate Stage Four, was never really challenged in the 181.1km final leg from Kudat to the mountainous region of Kundasang.

The Rietmu-Delfin Continental Cycling Team rider won Stage Five in 5’19:17, with Filipino riders Mark John Lexer Galedo (5’19:22) and Marcelo Felipe (5’20:31), of Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes, coming in second and third.

The 26-year-old Pruus won the yellow jersey with a total time of 16’16:27, followed by CCN Cycling Team’s Indonesian Hari Fitranto (2:47 behind) and Lexer Galedo (3:16 behind) second and third overall.

Pruus, the climbing specialist, was delighted with the overall win.

“I wasn’t sure if I could do it earlier as the conditions here were really tough,” said Pruus, who came in 15th overall in the Tour of Hainan last month.

“I was afraid of this mountain (Kundasang), but it turned out to be not too bad as it was quite cool today. I just stayed patient and waited before making my move.”

Amirul, of Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), finished Stage Five in seventh spot (5’22:00), but gained some consolation by taking the green jersey (points classification).   

The 23-year-old Amirul is also the first local rider to finish in the top five of the general classification in the history of the race.

RESULTS

Stage 5 (181.1km): 1. Peeter Pruus (Est) Rietmu-Delfin Continental Cycling Team 5’19:17, 2. Mark John Lexer Galedo (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines 5’19:22, 3. Marcelo Felipe (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines 5’20:31, 4. Hari Fitrianto (Ina) CCN Cycling Team 5’20:31, 5. Dadi Suryadi (Ina) Pegasus Continental Cycling Team (same as Fitrianto).

General classification (yellow jersey): 1. PeeterPruus (Est) Rietmu-Delfin Continental Cycling Team 16’16:27, 2. Hari Fitrianto (Ina) CCN Cycling Team +2:47, 3. Mark John Lexer Galedo (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines +3:16, 4. DadiSuryadi (Ina) Pegasus Continental Cycling Team +3:24, 5. Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team +4:14.

Asian classification (white jersey): 1. Hari Fitrianto (Ina) CCN Cycling Team 16’19:14, 2. Mark John Lexer Galedo (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines +29s, 3. Dadi Suryadi (Ina) Pegasus Continental Cycling Team +37s.

Points classification (green jersey): 1. Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Cycling Team 38 pts (finished higher overall), 2. Marcelo Felipe (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines 38, 3. Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Cycling team 35.

Mountains classification (red jersey): 1. Peeter Pruus (Est) Rietmu-Delfin Continental Cycling Team 21, 2. Mark John Lexer Galedo (Phi) Team 7-Eleven Roadbikes Philippines 19, 3. Hari Fitrianto (Ina) CCN Cycling Team 10.