The Princess Maha Chackri Sirindhon's Cup 2013

08-10.04.2013
Thailand, Road Race, 3 stages, 276.7km
UCI 2.2

Also known - fortunately - as the Women's Tour of Thailand, The Princess Maha Chackri Sirindhon's Cup was first held in 2012 when it was contested largely by riders from the Far East. China's Lin Xiu, riding for Chongming-Giant, won with an overall time of 8h58'43"; Japan's Mayuko Hagiwara, who then rode for Cycle Base Asahi but has since signed to Rochelle Gilmore's British-registered Wiggle-Honda team, was ten seconds slower for second place while Korean Sun Ae Choi was third at +1'29". There appears to be no official website for the race.

Though it lasts for three days, the race bears obvious similarities to a Flanders Classic - there are no mountains with the highest points attaining just 50-60m above sea level, but the climbs are steep and sufficiently numerous for the cumulative effect to prove decisive.

Parcours

Stage 1 (08.04.13)

Stage 1

Taking the form of a 71.4km loop, Stage 1 started at Phuket City before heading north and into a circuit, then took the same roads back to Phuket. There were no big climbs along the way, the highest points (approximately 35km and 56km) being just 50m above sea level while the final three kilometres are largely downhill (though there's a sharp climb followed by a short descent in the last 430m). While small, the hills threw a cat among the sprinters and pruned a bunch sprint that could have been equal in number to the entire peloton down to just five breakaway riders. Huang Ting Ying (Taipei), winner of the silver medals for the Team Sprint and 500m at the 2007 Junior World Track Championships, led the race over the line with Thuy Dung Nguyen (Vietnam) and Wilaiwan Kunlapha taking second and third. After bonification, Ting Ying leads the General Classification by 1"

Stage 1 Top Ten
1 Huang TING YING (Taipei) 1h53'10"

Stage 1 profile

2 Thuy Dung NGUYEN (Vietnam) ST
3 Wilaiwan KUNLAPHA (Thailand) ST
4 Bo Yee LEUNG (Hong Kong) ST
5 Minami UENO (Japan) ST
6 Mei Yu HSIAO (Taipei) +3'11"
7 Zhao Juan MENG (Hong Kong) ST
8 Panawaraporn BOONSAWAT (Thailand) ST
9 Xiao Juan DIAO (Hong Kong) ST
10 Supaksorn NUNTANA (Thailand) ST
Full result and GC here


Stage 2 (09.04.2013)

Stage 2

Running for 83.3km north from Phuket to Phang Nga, the parcours had more small climbs with none gaining much more than 20m; however, they were steep - but not steep enough to cause any large splits in the bunch, most of whom finished together. A couple of little climbs of around 5m at the beginning of the final 3km followed by a 2km descent to the finish enabled Jaruan Somrat (Thailand) to finish with an 8" lead over second and third place Jariya Chumlae (Thailand) and Wan Yiu Jamie Wong (Hong Kong).

Huang Ting Ying (Taipei) finished in fourth place 14" down, losing her General Classification lead to Thuy Dung Nguyen, who was seventh with the same time as Ting Ying and now leads overall by 2".

Stage 2 Top Ten
1 Jaruwan SOMRAT (Thailand) 2h16'54"
2 Jariya CHUMLUAE (Thailand) +08"
3 Wan Yiu Jamie WONG (Hong Kong) ST

Stage 2 profile

4 Huang TING YING (Taipei) +14"
5 Xiao Juan DIAO (Hong Kong) ST
6 Mei Yu HSIAO (Taipei) ST
7 Thuy Dung NGUYEN (Vietnam) ST
8 Phan Ngoc Trang (Vietnam) ST
9 Wilaiwan KUNLAPHA (Thailand) ST
10 Minami UENO (Japan) ST
Full result and GC here
Stage 3 (10.04.2013)

Stage 3

Starting where Stage 2 left off at Phang Nga, the parcours led back to Phuket but followed the same route only over the first part of the race, then deviated to give a total of 122km. The highest points were once again around 50m above sea level, but there were plenty more steep climbs to get to them and, as was the case yesterday, they served to split the bunch with a group of four riders getting away before making good use of the final 3km: mostly downhill with one sort section at 119.8km looking steep enough to give those riders that don't enjoy descents some problems. This section allowed Mei Yu Hsaio (Taipei), Zhao Juan Meng (Hong Kong), Panawaraporn Boonsawat (Thailand), Hiromi Kaneko (Japan) and Ho Hsiung Huang (Taipei) to preserve their lead of over a minute and a half going into the last few hundred metres where a 12m climb led to a very slightly downhill run to the final 300m. Huang dropped off on the final approach, finishing 3" behind the other leaders who shared Hsaio's winning time of 3h08'23".

Thuy Dung Nguyen of Vietnam came in 2'42" after the stage winner, taking ninth place, but having started the day 3'21" ahead of Hsaio and with all her nearest rivals finishing the stage well down in the standings her General Classification was never in any doubt; she finishes the race with an advantage of 2".

Stage 3 profile

Stage 3 Top Ten
1 Mei Yu HSIAO (Taipei) 3h08'23"
2 Zhao Juan MENG (Hong Kong) ST
3 Panawaraporn BOONSAWAT (Thailand) ST
4 Hiromi KANEKO (Japan) ST
5 Ho Hsiung HUANG (Taipei) +03"
6 Wan Yiu Jamie WONG (Hong Kong) +1'35"
7 Hsiao Chia TSENG (Taipei) +2'39"
8 Huang TING YING (Taipei) +2'42"
9 Thuy Dung NGUYEN (Vietnam) ST
10 Xiao Juan DIAO (Hong Kong) +2'48"
Full results here

General Classification Top Ten 
1 Thuy Dung NGUYEN (Vietnam) 4h10'06"
2 Huang TING YING (Taipei) +02"
3 Wilaiwan KUNLAPHA (Thailand) +06"
4 Bo Yee LEUNG (Hong Kong) +11"
5 Minami UENO (Japan) +12"
6 Jaruwan SOMRAT (Thailand) +2'59"
7 Jariya CHUMLUAE (Thailand) +3'11"
8 Wan Yiu Jamie WONG (Hong Kong) +3'13"
9 Mei Yu HSIAO (Taipei) +3'21"
10 Xiao Juan DIAO (Hong Kong) +3'22"
Full GC result here

(Map and altimetry details via Procycling Stats)