October 14, 2013 (Beijing) – Spain’s Beñat Intxausti has a stranglehold on the 2013 Tour of Beijing after taking the stage four win in a spectacular final climb on Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain. The 27-year-old Movistar rider burst away from what remained of the peloton over the final two kilometres to hold off a fast finishing Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp) and a gallant David Lopez (Sky Procycling) to claim a three second advantage.

Intxausti was part of the day’s early breakaway and with the addition of 12 bonus seconds on the road, he will hold a 10 second margin for tomorrow’s final stage. Given the final day is a fast, flat and relatively short 117km, featuring a start at Tian An Men Square before 12 laps of the Olympic precinct at the Bird’s Nest, the overall victory should be secure if the Spaniard remains upright.

“I am really happy this is my first win since the Giro, because the Vuelta didn’t go really well. I am now ending the season very well,” Intxausti explained.

“I am dedicating this victory to Xavi Tondo. He is a very special person to me,” he said, speaking of his friend who died in a tragic accident at home in 2011, when crushed by his garage door.  Intxausti was with Tondo at the time of the horrific incident.

Intxausti said the team plan was to put both world champion Rui Costa and himself in contention on the final climb.

“Yes at the start of the day the plan was for Rui Costa and for me, so we had both options. In the last two kilometres, I tried to attack so that I could win the stage. Also, we worked hard to take the bonifications, because they were also important.”

“It was a very close finish; I could see Daniel Martin was very close to me. I went full gas to the end so I could raise my hands with enough time.”

If successful tomorrow his debut WorldTour stage-race win will add to a stage of the Giro d’Italia this year, in what has been a busy one – racing both the Giro and the Vuelta a Espana, along with an eighth place finish at the Tour of the Basque Country.

The road to the Mountain Summit

In a pulsating final stage, which contained three climbs before the final ascent to the top of Miaofeng, four riders worked their way clear at the 29km point.  The group contained Intxausti, along with his Movistar teammate Jose Ivan Gutierrez, Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma Quick-Step) and Maurits Lammertink (Vacansoliel – DCM).

After the first sprint Intxausti returned to the peloton and the gap grew to two minutes 45 seconds, the biggest margin of the day, as the watchful peloton ensured the gap didn’t extend.

On the first category one climb, three more riders joined the break, with KOM leader Damiano Caruso (Cannondale), Moreno Hofland (Belkin) and Stijn Vandenbergh (Omeg Pharma Quick-Step) joining the fray.

At the foot of the final and decisive climb, the leaders split, leaving Vandenbergh alone, before the rampaging peloton, led by Sky, closed the gap to bring the race together for the final 12km journey to the summit.

With overnight leader Nacer Bouhanni resting his sprinters legs for tomorrow’s final stage, the bunch disintegrated up the mountain as the attacks came.  Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol), Marco Pinotti (BMC) and Josh Edmondson (Team Sky) all made attempts to break clear, however none proved successful.

Lopez and Tour de France stage winner Jan Bakelants (RadioShack-Leopard) where next to try and secure victory, opening a 20 second gap with 4km remaining.

In an exciting finale, Martin could see the danger so helped drag back the leader, but along with Lopez, world champion Rui Costa (Movistar) also briefly looked a likely winner, before his teammate Intxausti made his final push to the summit. With the finish line looming it looked likely that Martin would pinch the win, but the Spaniard prevailed.

Lopez was third, with Costa finishing fourth, six seconds behind the winner, with defending champion and two-time Tour of Beijing winner Tony Martin putting forward a brave defence of his title to finish sixth on the stage, a position he also holds on the general classification, 24 seconds adrift.

Final Stage – Stage Five – Tian An Men Square to Mentougou, 117km
The fifth and final 117km stage of the Tour of Beijing starts at the iconic Tian An Men Square, does a ceremonial loop around the resting place of Mao Zedong before the proper start along the wide inner-city boulevard of Chang-an East Street. Working its way north the race will reach its conclusion with 12 laps around the precinct that surrounds the architectural marvel that is the Bird’s Nest. A day for the pure sprinters, so an exciting finish is guaranteed.

Results

Results

1.  Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team  3:43:25
2. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp  0:03
3. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Sky Procycling  0:04
4. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team  0:06
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:11
6. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
7. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack Leopard  0:13
8. Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
9. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
10. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team  0:18
11. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale
12. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
13. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
14. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team  0:25
15. Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida  0:28
16. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team
17. Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Sky Procycling
18. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
19. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:36
20. Bob Jungels (Lux) RadioShack Leopard  0:39
21. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
22. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
23. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi  1:03
24. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr
25. Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Esp) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
26. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team
27. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
28. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
29. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack Leopard
30. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
31. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team  1:10
32. Joshua Edmondson (Gbr) Sky Procycling  1:24
33. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling  1:55
34. Evan Huffman (USA) Astana Pro Team
35. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
36. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
37. Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard
38. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
39. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha  2:35
40. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha
41. Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol  3:25
42. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  3:29
43. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Argos-Shimano  3:45
44. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha
45. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
46. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
47. Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
48. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
49. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
50. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
51. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol  4:34
52. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  5:23
53. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Garmin-Sharp
54. Jiao Pengda (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
55. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
56. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha  8:52
57. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team  8:58
58. Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
59. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
60. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp
61. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
62. Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
63. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
64. Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
65. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr
66. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
67. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol
68. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling  0:10:28
69. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
70. Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
71. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
72. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
73. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
74. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
75. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida
76. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
77. Xu Gang (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
78. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
79. Ji Cheng (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano
80. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
81. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
82. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
83. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
84. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge  0:13:03
85. Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
86. Danilo Hondo (Ger) RadioShack Leopard
87. Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
88. Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol
89. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:14:10
90. Chad Beyer (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
91. Jang Chan Jae (Kor) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
92. Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
93. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ.fr  0:16:41
94. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr
95. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ.fr
96. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr
97. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
98. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team
99. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
100. Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
101. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
102. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
103. Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Movistar Team
104. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
105. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
106. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
107. Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
108. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
109. Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale Pro Cycling
110. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol
111. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
112. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
113. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha
114. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
115. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano
116. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
117. Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
118. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
119. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
120. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha
121. Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
122. Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale Pro Cycling
123. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
124. Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
125. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale
126. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
127. Luca Wackermann (Ita) Lampre-Merida
128. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
129. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
130. Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
131. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Sharp
132. Andrea Palini (Ita) Lampre-Merida
133. Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
134. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
135. Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
136. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
137. Xing Yan Dong (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano
138. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
152. Ian Boswell (USA) Sky Procycling
131. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
65. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
72. Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ
193. Ryota Nishhizono (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
151. Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling

GC after Stage 4

1. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team  17:11:50
2. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp  0:10
3. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Sky Procycling  0:13
4. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team  0:18
5. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:24
6. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
7. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack Leopard  0:26
8. Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
9. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
10. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi  0:31
11. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
12. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale
13. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team
14. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team  0:38
15. Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida  0:41
16. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team
17. Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Sky Procycling
18. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
19. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:49
20. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard  0:52
21. Bob Jungels (Lux) RadioShack Leopard
22. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  1:07
23. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team  1:16
24. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
25. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr
26. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack Leopard
27. Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Esp) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
28. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team  1:23
29. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  1:35
30. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi  1:59
31. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team
32. Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard  2:08
33. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
34. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
35. Evan Huffman (USA) Astana Pro Team
36. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
37. Joshua Edmondson (Gbr) Sky Procycling  2:20
38. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha  2:48
39. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
40. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha  3:31
41. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha  3:54
42. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team  3:58
43. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
44. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Argos-Shimano
45. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  4:25
46. Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  4:40
47. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  4:41
48. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
49. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
50. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol  4:47
51. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  5:36
52. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
53. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Garmin-Sharp  6:50
54. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team  9:11
55. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
56. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp
57. Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
58. Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
59. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha  9:48
60. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
61. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp  9:54
62. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
63. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr
64. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff  0:10:39
65. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step  0:10:41
66. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
67. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step  0:10:49
68. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge  0:11:21
69. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff  0:11:22
70. Ji Cheng (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano  0:11:24
71. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
72. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
73. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida
74. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
75. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
76. Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team  0:11:35
77. Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge  0:12:10
78. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge  0:13:16
79. Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp  0:13:59
80. Jang Chan Jae (Kor) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:15:06
81. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:15:17
82. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:16:34
83. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step  0:16:50
84. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:16:51
85. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
86. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling  0:16:54
87. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano  0:17:31
88. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
89. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge  0:17:33
90. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling  0:17:36
91. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale  0:17:37
92. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
93. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
94. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
95. Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
96. Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale Pro Cycling
97. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
98. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff  0:18:18
99. Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  0:19:46
100. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team  0:19:50
101. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team  0:19:53
102. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
103. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team  0:20:16
104. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff  0:20:27
105. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ.fr  0:22:14
106. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha
107. Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
108. Jiao Pengda (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:22:40
109. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:24:33
110. Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:24:56
111. Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge  0:25:16
112. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:26:12
113. Xu Gang (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:27:45
114. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
115. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:29:00
116. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr
117. Danilo Hondo (Ger) RadioShack Leopard  0:30:20
118. Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
119. Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol
120. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff  0:30:41
121. Chad Beyer (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team  0:31:22
122. Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team  0:31:27
123. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:33:58
124. Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
125. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha
126. Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
127. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
128. Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale Pro Cycling
129. Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Movistar Team
130. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
131. Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
132. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
133. Luca Wackermann (Ita) Lampre-Merida  0:34:44
134. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Sharp  0:34:50
135. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
136. Xing Yan Dong (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano  0:35:15
137. Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre-Merida  0:36:01
138. Andrea Palini (Ita) Lampre-Merida  0:38:04