Zanoncello wins stage 5 of 2023 Tour of Qinghai Lake

Riders compete during stage 5 of the 22nd Tour of Qinghai Lake cycling race from Menyuan to Qilian, northwest China's Qinghai Province, July 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Enrico Zanoncello from Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane took the stage 5 victory at the 2023 Tour of Qinghai Lake while Wilmar Andres Paredes Zapata from Medellin continued to wear the yellow jersey.

QILIAN, China, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Enrico Zanoncello from the Italian Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane won the fifth stage of the 2023 Tour of Qinghai Lake in a time of four hours three minutes and six seconds on Wednesday.

The fifth stage, stretching from Menyuan to Qilian, covered a total distance of 170 kilometers. It featured two intermediate sprints and one climb, reaching a peak altitude of 3,767 meters.

Spanish Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Andoni Lopez De Abetxuko Jimenez finished second and Jelle Johannink from Netherlands's ABLOC CT was third.

The owners of the four jerseys stayed the same after stage 5. Italian Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizane's Henok Mulueberhan and Alessio Nieri kept the green jersey and the polka-dot jersey respectively.

Wilmar Andres Paredes Zapata from Colombia's Medellin wearing the yellow jersey celebrates after stage 5 of the 22nd Tour of Qinghai Lake cycling race from Menyuan to Qilian, northwest China's Qinghai Province, July 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

The Best Asian Rider's blue jersey remain in the hands of China Glory Continental Cycling Team's Lyu Xianjing. Wilmar Andres Paredes Zapata from Colombia's Medellin retains the yellow jersey as the top of the General Individual classification.

Stage 6 on Friday is the longest stage of this year's race. It will span 206 kilometers from Qilian to Xihai.