Jon  Aberasturi wins opening stage in Wanning-Xinglong

Spain’s Jon Aberasturi of Japanese outfit  Ukyo claimed his eighth victory of the year, all of them in Asia at six  different races as he outsprinted Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina) at the end  of stage 1 in the Tour of Hainan in Wanning-Xinglong Australia’s Michael  Freiberg (Isowheysports-Swisswellness) rounded out the podium.

It  was a short and fast stage with 88.3km to be covered by the 132 starters,  including 30 Asian riders. It took thirty kilometers for a breakaway to develop.  Four riders made it: Enrico Barbin (Bardiani CSF), Joe Cooper  (Isowheysports-Swisswellness), Vitaly Buts (Kolss) and Joab Schneiter  (Switzerland). Their maximum advantage was 38 seconds. 

There was a spectacular fight in the run in  to the only categorized climb of the day with 14.6km to go but Buts was brave  enough to fend off the peloton while Benjamin Hill (Attaque Gusto) was second at  the top of the hill right behind him. It was all together after the summit with  a lots of attacks taking place. Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani CSF) tried his  luck. He was rejoined by Taylor Shelden (Jelly Belly) with 10km to go but it was  an inevitable sprint at the end.

Aberasturi took the last curve in the  inside 400 metres before the finishing line, building there his success over  arch favorite Mareczko who had to settle for second place. Revenge will be in  the air for the 230.2km long stage 2 from Wanning-Xinglong to Haikou.