With a good team performance of the Marco Polo Cycling Club, Malaya van Ruitenbeek finished 3rd overall in the first Ordos Tour of Genghis Khan in the Inner-Mongolia province in China. The 140 km stage in the new city of Kang Bangshi took the peloton on a 7 km course passing a spectaculair park and some modern architectural highlights. The strong wind made the cross-wind finish straight hard and only 50 of the 80 riders finished. The stage was won by Hong Kong's Kam Po Wong ahead of Chinese Peng Da Jiao. From the Marco Polo Cycling riders Koos Jeroen Kers finished 9th, Remko Kramer 14th and Lars van de Vall 21st. The 24th place of Malaya was enough to keep the 3rd place in the overall. In the team classification the Marco Polo Cycling Club was tied in the same time as 3rd, but due too better stage results it became the 4th place.

 Malaya van Ruitenbeek on the podium next to stage winner David McCann with champagne, after stage 1 of the 1st Ordos Tour of Genghis Khan in Inner-Mongolia, China. (photo: Remko Kramer)

At this moment the Tour of Beijing takes place, the first cycling race in Asia in the World Tour, the highest division of cycling. This shows the further globalisation of cycling and the development of cycling as a sport in Asia. In the first edition of this event in 2002, it was the Marco Polo Cycling Team that dominated this race. The team won 5 stages, the green points as well as the overall yellow jersey.

 Three Marco Polo Cycling Team riders on the podium in the Tour of Beijing, this had to be celebrated, with champagne of course! (Photographer: Beijing Daily Newspaper)

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Jason Christie of New Zealand, a Marco Polo Cycling Team member since the start of August, has become 6th in the U23 World Championships time trial in Copenhagen, Denmark!

Marco Polo Cycling Team's Jason Christie from New Zealand, 6th at the World Championships time trial U23. (photo: Remko Kramer