Linda McCartney Foods Pro Cycling Team - Tour of Langkawi Stage 12

Tour of Langkawi (Malaysia) - 1606km

Stages 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - TV Coverage

Results

Stage 12

Racing

Stephens Completes Magnificent Tour

Matt Stephens

Matthew Stephens of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team secured his excellent 4th place at the Tour of Langkawi around Malaysia today. The last stage, a circuit race around Kuala Lumpur, was negotiated without any significant problems.

"What a relief!" gasped Matt at the finish. "It's been twelve really hard days of racing. It's so hot here, and the racing has been so aggressive, just attack after attack. I'm just glad I've managed to hang on to my placing, and the UCI points that come with it."

Matt has now amassed 75 UCI points for his team - and the European season proper is yet to get underway! His 40 points taken here surmount the 35 he picked up for 8th place at the Tour Down Under.

"With only six men per team, and a whopping 25 teams, it's been much harder to predict or control the racing here," explained Matt. "Ok, Down Under was ranked higher by the UCI, but we all found the racing more demanding here. I can't stress enough what a great job the team has done. It's such a great bunch to be involved with, and anyone will do anything for anyone else."

Today's stage was won from a small group by Mercury's Jan Bratkowski, thus giving the Americans both the stage and the overall victory, as Chris Horner protected his yellow jersey.

There was a sour note to the end of the race for Linda McCartney as for the second time in a few days, their enjoyment of Kuala Lumpur was disrupted by thieves. Firstly, your correspondent had his laptop stolen from the race press room, and tonight, in the post-race scrum, chance thieves took Keith Lambert and Chris Lillywhite's new rucksacks. The manager and his assistant have been left disabled by the loss of their passports and air tickets, and the race organisation will be working long into the sticky Malaysian night to sort the mess out.

It has been an unfortunate incident after the team and the race have been welcomed joyfully all over this beautiful country.

"It comes with the job, I guess," said a philosophical Chris Lillywhite. "We have to concentrate on the good things that have happened this week: a great team performance, brilliant stuff from Matt and Bjornar, a great debut by Spencer. Mark my words, this team is going to go from strength to strength, just as surely as Spurs will never beat Chelsea!"

Report by John Deering

06.02.00: Kuala Lumpur Criterium 75km

  1. J Bratkowski (Mercury)           1.45.48
  2. A Cruz (Saturn)                @    0.00
  3. V Ordowski (Team Gerolsteiner)
 46. Matthew Stephens
 56. Ciarán Power
 71. Bjornar Vestol
 75. Spencer Smith
 97. David McKenzie
100. Ben Brooks


Final Overall:

  1. C Horner (Mercury)              38.34.39
  2. J A Perez (Panaria Gaerne)     @    0.27
  3. F Baliani (Aguardiente Nect)   @    0.29
  4. Matthew Stephens               @    1.05
 13. Bjornar Vestol                 @    2.56
 23. Ciarán Power                   @    8.21
 30. David McKenzie                 @   11.25
 41. Spencer Smith                  @   22.50
 76. Ben Brooks                     @   45.03


Final Overall Points:

  1. G Fraser (Mercury)                111pts
 23. Matthew Stephens                   24pts
 26. Bjornar Vestol                     23pts
 36. Ciarán Power                       19pts
 41. David McKenzie                     16pts


Final Overall Mountains:

  1. J A Perez (Panaria Gaerne)         66pts
  7. Matthew Stephens                   20pts
 19. Bjornar Vestol                      8pts
 34. David McKenzie                      4pts


Final Overall Teams:

  1. Saturn Cycling Team            115.44.59
  4. Linda McCartney Foods          @    4.03