Missaglia leads after stage six

XINING, Qinghai: Gabriele Missaglia of Venezuela's Selle Italia Team (CLM) won back the yellow jersey of the Tour of Qinghai Lake after the sixth stage yesterday, but the battle for the overall lead is wide open as the top three riders are only seconds apart.

Discovery Channel's Allan Davis proved his sprinting ability in the final meters once again by winning the flat 208km stage, but Missaglia managed to keep with him as they headed to the finishing line almost neck and neck.

The Italian veteran, who wore the yellow after 4th stage, believes he has the best chance of winning.

"I am very happy to win back the yellow jersey. It is my first time racing in Qinghai and I hope to give myself something to celebrate. I have the confidence to win the championship," said Missaglia, who is just a 0.02 seconds ahead of second-placed Daniel Lloyd of England's DFL team.

"It is also my first time racing at high attitude. I did not know if I could perform well. I felt bad in the first day but got better day by day.

"I am thinking a lot about winning the yellow jersey. Let's wait and see on Sunday (the final stage)."

Despite his stage victory Davis says he has no chance of winning overall.

"Zero. The guy with the yellow jersey is four minutes in front of me so they've got a big advantage coming into the next stages. It is very difficult for me. I am a good sprinter but not a good climber."

A crash in the fourth stage likely cost him a shot at glory.

"Right now, hopefully we can keep winning sprints in the front group."

Davis's Chinese teammate Li Fuyu is on course to win the Asia's best title, though his bicycle had a breakdown 30 kilometers from the end.

"The tactics worked when my bicycle had problems. One guy came to help me and others stopped to wait for me. We got back to the front soon."

Today's race will test riders' climbing ability again on a mountainous 150.8 km from Xining to Menyuan with a maximum altitude of 3792 meters.

(China Daily 07/20/2007 page22)