Tour of Korea - 2.5

Korea, May 11-16, 2003

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Prologue - May 11: Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps, 1.4 km

Gone in 96 seconds

By Mikkeli Godfree

Zoom zoom zoom
Photo: © Mikkeli Godfree

The Tour de Korea kicked off today with a 1.4 kilometre prologue in the Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps, an intense drumming performance and a plentiful banquet. The start list boasted an impressive range of nationalities with Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Australia, Iran, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Mongolia all being represented.

Whilst all of these teams compete for individual/teams overall and stage honours, the tour is actually a race within a race as there is an additional category for best Korean rider and team. The race takes in just under 800km in six stages, two of which are short circuit races. This format has been chosen as South Korea sees the tour as being instrumental in raising public interest in cycling and promoting health in what seems to be an already active Korean lifestyle.

The Armed Forces Athletic Corps close to the heart of bustling Seoul was a perfect venue. A short technical circuit would ensure that only an explosive and technically-skilled rider would win. A small pinch just before the finish and some questionable surfaces in many of the corners added some other challenging elements to the mix.

The klaw!
Photo: © Mikkeli Godfree

The technical course claimed three native victims, one of whom nearly took your reporter with him as he bounced off the road before bringing his body to a bone-breaking halt against a tree.

When the dust had settled, victory had been claimed by Jong Jae Kim (Dong Yang Je Chul). The Korean riders were so keen to win at home and achieved their goal in fine style, Kim winning by 0.33 seconds over Australians and MGZT teammates Brett Aitken, who managed to break his shoe-buckle upon take-off, and Joel Pearson.

These three riders were full three seconds clear of the rest in a race that last all of 96 seconds. With five riders in the top 12, Team MGZT's success was particularly significant as it was the Melbourne-based team's debut race, and gave them a clear lead in the teams classification.

Photos

Images by Mikkeli Godfree

A few of the Team MGZT riders before the start
Seoul’s Olympic Wings
Giant Asia’s Chris Carr wrestles with his bike in an unusual circumstance
Sung Char Choi tackles the rise
Artem Shlindov lays his bike down into the second corner
Chris Carr with the bike safely under him again
Joel Pearson hitting his straps
A different perspective
Paulie Redenbach en route to fifth spot
The scene is set
Glen Chadwick riding to secure a top-ten finish
Luke Stockwell continues his road campaign in Korea
Hyon Gu Lee approaching the corner about 10kph faster than anyone else moments before booking himself a spot in the ambulance
Brett Aitken getting some angle out of his Avanti on his way to second place.

Results

1 Jong Jae Kim (Kor) Dong Yand Je Chul      1:36.73 (52.1km/h)
2 Brett Aitken (Aus) Team MGZT              0:00.33
3 Joel Pearson (Aus) Team MGZT              0:00.71
4 Mamyrov Bakhtiyar (Kaz) Orbea Exte-Ondo   0:03.85
5 Paul Redenbach (Aus) Giant Asia           0:04.01
6 Myung Hyun Lee (Kor) Kang Jin Gun Chung   0:05.10
7 Peter Milostic (Aus) Team MGZT            0:05.16
8 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Giant Asia            0:05.46
9 Dae Han Park (Kor) Kyung Kyoon            0:05.68
10 Yurly Yuda (Kaz) Kazakhstan              0:05.81
11 Pete Cottam (Aus) Team MGZT              0:05.88
12 Domenic Gatto (Aus) Team MGZT            0:05.92
13 Sergey Tretyakov (Kaz) Kazakhstan        0:05.95
14 Kuan Hua Lai (Chi) Chinese Taipei        0:05.96
15 Seok Kyu Suh (Kor) Seoul City            0:05.99
 
74 starters