Awards presented to best cyclists of the third stage
Warm sentiment of comrades
After awarding the first, second and third prizes to winners of the race’s third stage at Ha Tinh Gymnasium, representatives of the organizing board and sponsors symbolically handed over 2 houses of gratitude, 20 gifts, and 25 scholarships to policy beneficiaries and students with good academic records in the province.
Phan Dinh Manh, one of the two gratitude house recipients this time, was so touched at receiving the gift. He showed deep gratitude to all donors and officers from the People’s Army Newspaper and wished to meet them in his new house sometime.
Later in the day, the organizing board and relevant forces visited and offered incense at Dong Loc Junction Monument and Nui Nai War Cemetery in Ha Tinh province.
High-level sprint of third stage’s winner
The third stage of the race from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh, which was planned to be 189km in length, but was later shortened to only 161km due to the effects of storm Talas. It was kick-started on July 17 morning in Tinh Gia district and finished right in front of War Martyrs’ Memorial and Statue of Ly Tu Trong in Ha Tinh city.
Despite unfavorable weather conditions and hard competition from other cyclists, Le Nguyet Minh of VUS-HCM City team claimed the first position of the third stage with a timing of 3 hours, 47 minutes and 49 seconds and an average speed of 42.402 kph. He also gained the blue jersey after the stage. The first runner-up is Minh’s brother, cyclist Le Van Duan of VUS-HCM City team.
Nguyen Tan Hoai of Domesco Pharmacy Dong Thap, the winner of the second stage, crossed the finish line just a half-wheel slower than the first runner-up.
After three stages of the race, Nguyen Cuong Khang of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth squad maintained his lead in the tour with a total timing of 8h21'13'' and retained the yellow jersey.
The fourth stage of 150km long distance started on the morning of July 18.
Translated by Trung Thanh