Team Polti VisitMalta wraps up the Tour of Hainan on the attack, with Peñalver 2nd in the sprint

After opening the Pays de la Loire in France with Lonardi’s 2nd place on Tuesday, Team Polti VisitMalta closed out the Tour of Hainan in China today with the same result from its Spanish sprinter. The final stage of the Asian race once again saw a lively squad, always in the thick of the action: from Pablo Garcia’s presence between 150 and 100 km to go in one of the many three-man attacks, to the echelon formed shortly after that temporarily dropped the yellow jersey, all the way to the fast finish after the last fugitives were caught at the flamme rouge. There Manuel Peñalver, supported by Diego Sevilla, came back from behind and gained position after position, crossing the line just centimetres behind the winner Salby (Li Ning Star) improving on his 7th place from stage 2. It’s his first podium of the season, while Germán Gómez ends in the top 20 of the general classification.

Peñalver: “My teammates did a fantastic job, which gave me even more motivation for a finale where I gave it my all and came so close to the win. A victory would have been perfect, of course, but performances like this give us a great feeling of confidence!”

Sports director Giovanni Ellena: “Our guys tried every way to get a result. First Garchu in the breakaway, then that collective move where nearly the whole team was involved, though unfortunately limited by the wind easing off. Finally, a great finish that would have deserved a better outcome. Well done.”