Stage 5: Super Miga climbs to 5th overall win!
Myagmarsuren Basaankhuu has won the Granfondo Yunnan for the 5th time in a row. In the final stage the sympathetic Mongolian dotted the ‘i’ with a powerful stage victory on the high-altitude backside of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at Maoniuping. Miga reeled in brave escapee Josh Bauer before halfway up the 28km long ascent and eventually had no choice but to leave the American behind.
Miga had been dominant throughout the week and illustrated his excellent form already in the Prologue TT in Mangshi a week ago. He entered the Lijiang Sky Ride with a comfortable time gap on Li Yu Heng and Josh Bauer, even when losing time in Dali a day ago by missing the decisive break that included Bauer. When the American rider from Minnesota began an early all-or-nothing attack, Miga could allow himself to watch how things played out before accelerating during the final ascent on the slopes of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. He caught Bauer solo, dropping Li Yu Heng and Wu Yunfei in the process, and wanted to climb to the summit together. Unfortunately, Bauer had to let go around km 85 and Miga went to the finish by himself to take another stage win after the Prologue TT, Ruili and Tengchong.
Josh Bauer still managed to come in second, China’s Wu Yunfei was a good third and Li Yu Heng fourth. The latter rider from Kunming is second in GC, Josh Bauer third.
Canadian Marg Fedyna won the women’s Sky Ride ahead of Annemiek Stegehuis, who took the women’s overall once again after last year! Dutch woman Stegehuis rode in safety mode, knowing that Fedyna was too far behind in GC to be a real threat. It is nevertheless an astonishing performance by the AG50 rider Fedyna to take a undisputed overall stage win on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain!
Michael Naert from Belgium won the overall AG40, Australia’s Andrew Brearley grabbed the AG50. Marg Fedyna of course won the women’s AG50. The women’s AG40 was for Holly Marie Richter from the USA.
