Joris Delbove wins the queen stage but the advantage is minimal: everything is decided on time bonuses
The Tour de Langkawi is gearing up for a thrilling finale. Tradition dictates that the winner of the queen stage takes home the race, but this year's outcome could be different. Joris Delbove (Total Energies) took victory in the fifth stage, finishing on Fraser's Hill , but his lead in the overall standings is so slim that it leaves no room for comfort.
The Frenchman triumphed solo, breaking away from a group of about 20 riders in the final 3 kilometers and holding off his closest pursuers by just 2 seconds. This narrow margin is also reflected in the general classification, where Delbove leads by just 6 seconds over Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) and Adrien Maire (Unibet Tietema Rockets). Yannis Voisard (Tudor Pro Cycling) is 10 seconds behind.
The race is wide open, and the next three days, with the final finish in Kuala Lumpur, could bring some dramatic twists. The reason? Time bonuses. Each stage features three intermediate sprints, each with 3, 2, and 1 second bonuses for the top three. A potential 27-second haul that could completely overturn the standings.
Delbove himself knows this well and declared:
"First of all, I have to defend the lead I have now. Six seconds isn't a lot."The opponents are ready to fight, as confirmed by Johannessen: " We have three stages left and we are ready to fight. Winning the overall is a great goal."
