Patience is the name of the game, believes Hong Kong's top cyclist Wong Kam-po after another disappointing finish in a mass sprint at the end of the fourth stage of the Tour of Langkawi yesterday. Racing over a short course on a flat surface, which is not his favourite domain, the Asian Games road race champion failed to make an impact, finishing 111th in the 135-kilometre race from Dungun to Kuantan.
Wong, winner of last year's best Asian rider category, found solace in clocking the same official time as stage winner and overall leader Dutchman Jans Koerts, who registered two hours, 36 minutes and 29 seconds, after clinging to the leading pack which included Asian category leader Makoto Iijima of Japan.
Wong, who dropped three places to 61st overall, remains 66 seconds behind Koerts of defending overall champions Mercury and 12 seconds adrift of Iijima (23rd). 'I attempted to attack today but it's always difficult for me to break away on a flat surface as I'm not a strong sprinter. I expect the overall standings wouldn't change much in the next few days as more flat road lies ahead,' Wong said.
But his real chance will come in stage eight - the same stage he won last year - next week when riders are in for a tough course featuring a few climbs.
'I have to be patient. We must wait until we approach the mountains,' Wong said.
Today, the 160-strong field will take on the Tour's longest stage - a 241km race from Pekan to Kota Tinggi. The Tour has attracted top teams including Mapei of Italy, Mercury of the United States and Credit Agricole of France.
