The commissaires of the 2022 Ho Chi Minh City TV (HTV) Cup tournament had to review camera footage before announcing Nguyen Tan Hoai of Loc Troi Group as the fourth stage winner after a breathtaking group sprint on Friday.

The 52.2-kilometer stage took place over 18 laps, 2.9 kilometers each, in Cat Ba District, northern Hai Phong City. 

The cyclists staged constant attacks from the start, with Ho Chi Minh City-Vinama and Ho Chi Minh City-New Group members being the main playmakers.

After a group of seven racers created a 200-meter distance from the rest of the pack after the first ten laps, Loc Troi Group cyclists accelerated in a large number to catch up with them.

In the last five laps, spectators witnessed several individual attacks, one after one, by Ho Chi Minh Ciy-Vinama and Quan Doi.

A group of racers broke into a breathtaking sprint in the final lap before crossing the finish line at almost the same time.

None of the first finishers showed any celebration because it was not certain who was the winner.

Cyclists race in the fourth stage of the 2022 Ho Chi Minh City TV (HTV) Cup tournament in Hai Phong City, Vietnam, April 8, 2022. Photo: T.P. / Tuoi Tre

After reviewing video tapes, the commissaires concluded that the victory went to Nguyen Tan Hoai of Loc Troi Group, who just defeated Huynh Thanh Tung of Quan Khu 7 in a split second.

“It was a difficult sprint as I raced behind strong sprinters,” Hoai said upon receiving the blue jersey of the stage.

“In the final lap, I had a space advantage after drifting to the left, so I tried to power past to take victory.”

Friday’s result means that Igor Frolov of Ho Chi Minh Ciy-Vinama continued his hold of the most prestigious yellow jersey of the tourney.

The racers are scheduled to compete in the 110-kilometer fifth stage from Hai Phong to Hanoi on Saturday.

The HTV Cup race has been held annually since 1989 and is considered Vietnam’s ‘Tour de France.’

In its 34th edition, the competition takes 98 cyclists from 14 competing teams through 2,316.2 kilometers in 23 stages from north to south in celebration of Vietnam’s reunification day on April 30, 1975.

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