Iranian tops Stage 3; Baguio ascent today

MIRSAMAD Golakhour wraps up a furious breakaway as he crosses the finish line in Lingayen three bikelengths ahead of Cris Joven. ROMY HOMILLADA

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Mirsamad Pourseyedi Golakhour of Iran dominated yesterday’s penultimate stage and declared he is ready to tackle the most daunting leg in the 2011 Le Tour de Filipinas.

Golakhour, fifth man of Iran’s Azad University, sustained an early breakaway in the 151.20-kilometer leg from Iba, Zambales, to this scenic capital town to claim Stage 3 of the four-day bikathon in three hours, 37 minutes and 12 seconds.

Cris Joven of American Vinyl stuck to Golakhour like a leech from the time the Iranian cut loose from the peloton in Tabriz town, 9 km into the race, and finished three bike-lengths behind with the same clocking.

Arriving 57 seconds later was a mix of 48 foreign and local riders headed by 7-11’s Ericsson Obosa, Rico Rogers of Giant Kenda-Malaysia, Air21’s Bryant Sepno and Terenganu’s Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin.

“I was determined to win this one in preparation for tomorrow’s (today) race,” said the 25-year-old Golakhour. “There should be no problem since I’m used to climbing mountains.”

The Iranian seized a mountain stage in Malaysia’s Tour de Langkawi two months ago.

Rahim Emami, Golakhour’s compatriot who won the opening stage, kept the overall individual lead with a total clocking of 9:05.51.

Obosa climbed from third to second and moved within two seconds of Emami, while Suren Cycling’s Hamid Shiri Sisan rose to third, three seconds off the overall pace, in the Tour sanctioned by PhilCycling and the Union Cycliste Internationale.

Kazuo Inoue of Bridgestone, who snared Stage 2, was eight seconds behind in fourth, and Lloyd Lucien Reynante of 7-11 remained fifth (0:12). Eusebio Quiñones of Shopinas, Giant Kenda’s Alex Coutts, Air21’s Merculio Ramos, Azad’s Amir Zargari and Jayson Garillo of Wow Videoke rounded out the top 10, all just 15 seconds adrift from the leader.

“Our team has been saving for the final lap,” said Emami, who finished 49th in the stage and 57 seconds behind teammate Golakhour.

The 61 riders now proceed to Baguio City through a 112.5-km ascent on Kennon Road.

Golakhour and Joven broke away with Renato Sembrano of Road Bike, who faded back into the chasing pack on the approach to the stage’s only climb in the town of Mabini.

The chase group that included defending champ David McCann was three minutes behind Golakhour in Sual, but closed within two minutes exiting Labrador town.

McCann, team captain of Giant Kenda-Malaysia, and the rest then increased the pace, reducing the lead of Golakhour and Joven to 50 seconds going into the last four kilometers.