<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">XDS Astana Team rider&nbsp;Aaron Gate&nbsp;claimed victory on Stage 4 of the&nbsp;Tour of Hainan. Gate launched an attack in a small breakaway group during the final kilometers of the stage. Then, with one kilometer to go, he made another move along with one more rider, gaining a small gap over the chasing group. In the final sprint, Gate proved to be the fastest, delivering the second stage win for XDS Astana Team at this year’s Tour of Hainan.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">&nbsp;“Yeah, today was a really strong race for the team — everyone contributed really well. We had a clear plan to be aggressive and open up the race from the start. There were lots of breakaways, with Henok (Mulubrhan) and myself involved. In the end, Nico (Vinokurov) and Gustav (Wang) got into a really good move.Unfortunately, Nico crashed but managed to come back to our group when we reeled the break in. In the final, I had to close down a few attacks and stay active. And then, like cats with nine lives, Nico and Gustav made it back to the front again and started pulling in the last 15–20 kilometers.&nbsp;I saw a moment when five riders tried to break away and no one followed. I jumped across with another rider, then launched a counterattack, and the two of us got a gap. In the last kilometer, I just had to be patient, wait for the right moment, and open my sprint — and I managed to take the win.&nbsp;It’s really nice to wrap up the day with a victory for the team, especially after how hard everyone worked. Tomorrow is another day to fight, and hopefully we can take one more stage with Matteo (Malucelli)”, – said Aaron Gate.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">With this result, Aaron Gate moves up to&nbsp;third place&nbsp;in the overall classification.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Photo credit: ©Tour of Hainan

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Tour of Hainan. Aaron Gate wins Stage 4

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">The stage race Tour of Hainan kicked off today in Qionghai. The first stage, 90 kilometers long, ended in a bunch sprint, where XDS Astana Team rider Matteo Malucelli claimed the victory.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“Finally, I managed to get a win for the team and sponsors. It's great to start with a victory here in China – it’s especially meaningful. We had high expectations for this race, and it feels good to open it with a win. The first goal is completed, and now we can calmly focus on the next objectives in the Tour of Hainan. I’d also like to dedicate this victory to my father, who celebrates his birthday today”.</blockquote><blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“Today, once again, our X-LAB bike proved its quality. We've already seen this season that it performs extremely well – both in sprints and climbs – and today we had another confirmation of its speed and stability at high pace”.</blockquote><blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“I’m very happy to win today, especially because this is a home race for our sponsor XDS. Winning right from the first stage feels great. But now, we have to focus on the upcoming stages – the race has just begun”, – said Matteo Malucelli.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Malucelli now leads the General Classification and also tops the Points Classification.

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Tour of Hainan. Malucelli wins Stage 1

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">XDS Astana Team rider Harold Martín López claimed overall victory at the Tour of Hellas. Today’s final, fifth stage ended with a bunch sprint, which did not affect the General Classification. Thus, López, who took the leader's jersey after Stage Two, maintained his advantage and won the race, while Diego Ulissi finished fourth overall.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“I am really happy with this victory. After my crash at the Tour Down Under, I wanted to get back to good form and bring a win to the team. This project has given me so much over the last four years, and I really wanted to repay that trust with success. Already at the Milan–Torino and the Volta a Catalunya, I felt my form was improving, and I’m really glad that everything worked out at the Tour of Hellas. This is my first professional victory, and it means a lot to me. I hope this is just the beginning”, – said Harold Martín López.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">On the final stage, XDS Astana Team tried to fight for a podium finish in the General Classification for Diego Ulissi – the team worked hard during the intermediate sprints, and Ulissi managed to collect some bonus seconds, but it wasn’t enough to move into third place. He eventually finished fourth overall.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">In the final bunch sprint, Gleb Syritsa took third place. Additionally, Diego Ulissi won the red jersey as the leader of the points classification.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Photo credit: ©SprintCycling

Tour of Hainan. Aaron Gate wins Stage 4 Read more

Tour of Hainan. Malucelli wins Stage 1 Read more

Harold Martín López wins Tour of Hellas Read more

Tour of Hainan. Aaron Gate wins Stage 4

Tour of Hainan. Malucelli wins Stage 1

Harold Martín López wins Tour of Hellas