KUALA LUMPUR: Daniel Whitehouse clinched Terengganu Cycling Team's (TSG) first general classification (GC) victory in five years after coming in third in a hard fought final stage at the inaugural Tour de Flores in Indonesia today.
The Kiwi held firm as he followed a three-man breakaway comprising Spanish duo Benjamin Prades (Team Ukyo) and Ricardo Garcia (Kinan Cycling Team), both of whom were whom were in a position to overtake Whitehouse' slim lead in the GC.
Prades won the 121.5km fifth stage from Ruteng to Labuan Bajo in a time of three hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds, Garcia was second (same time with Prades) while Whitehouse crossed the line just three seconds behind the duo.
The result saw Whitehouse, who lead the GC by 10 seconds since winning the second stage on Friday, taking the overall win with a total time of 18:11:43s.
He is the first TSG rider to notch an overall victory since Japanese Shinichi Fukushima won the Tour of Brunei five years ago
Prades finished in second in the GC, 2:56s adrift while Garcia (+3:40s) was third.
Robin Manulang (Indonesia National Team), who trailed Whitehouse in second place overall going into the fifth stage, had a poor final day.
He finishing 14th (+8:20s) in the stage which saw him drop from second to fifth in the GC (+8:31s).
Whitehouse' TSG teamates Dadi Suryadi (+2:50s), capatain Adiq Husainie Othman and Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mazuki (both +17:47s) placed seventh, 34th and 35th respectively in the final stage.
Dadi finished sixth in the GC (+8:43), while Adiq (+1:05:57s) and Amirul (+1:10:18s) were 41st and 44th.
• RESULTS:
Stage five (121.5km from Ruteng to Labuan Bajo): 1. Benjamin Prades (Esp) Team Ukyo 3:17:50s, 2. Ricardo Garcia (Esp) Kinan Cycling Team (same time), 3. Daniel Whitehouse (NZ) TSG +3s, 4. Jung Woo-Ho (Kor) Geumsan Insam Cello +1:29s, 5. Choe Hyeong Min (Kor) Geumsan Insam Cello +2:50s.
General Classification: 1. Daniel Whitehouse (NZ) TSG 18:11:43s, 2. Benjamin Prades (Esp) Team Ukyo +2:56s, 3. Ricardo Garcia (Esp) Kinan Cycling Team +3:40s, 4. Jai Crawford (Aus) Kinan Cycling Team +6:09s, 5. Robin Manulang (Indonesia National team) +8:31s.