XDS Astana Team’s Max Kanter finishes 2nd at Hong Kong Cyclothon
XDS Astana Team rider Max Kanter secured second place at the Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) Hong Kong Cyclothon one-day cycling race, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The 99.2-kilometer race through Hong Kong concluded with a bunch sprint, in which France’s Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step claimed victory. Kanter finished second, ahead of Italy’s Matteo Moschetti of Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, who rounded out the podium.
Kanter described the result as a promising start to the final week of the racing season.
“This was my first time in Hong Kong, and I really enjoyed the race. I think we did a good job keeping things under control, especially with so many attacks in the closing stages. In the end, it came down to a sprint, and second place was the best I could manage today,” Kanter said, according to the team's press service.
The rider explained that he had positioned himself well ahead of the final sprint but had to expend extra energy fighting for a place behind Magnier.
“Perhaps I spent too much time riding into the headwind over the final few hundred meters while trying to get onto Paul Magnier’s wheel. I think that affected my finishing sprint a little. Still, a podium finish is a good result,” he added.
XDS Astana Team will next compete in the Tour of Guangxi, a multi-stage race featuring several flat stages.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that XDS Astana Team rider Matteo Malucelli had claimed victory in the opening stage of the Tour de Kyushu in Japan, winning a bunch sprint in Fukuoka.