Tour of Qinghai Lake: Mezgec conquers toughest stage, reaps 3rd stage win

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The annual Tour of Qinghai Lake continues in China with riders tackling the toughest stage Wednesday, boasting complicated terrain with ultra-high altitude.

The 6th stage ran from the township of Xihaizhen to Mo Le. Though only measuring 123 kilometers, the route was filled with difficult climbs and altitude of over 3,800 metres, Haitaer Mountain the peak of the climbs at 3,869 meters.

Luka Mezgec of Slovenia’s SAVA Team was superb today. Making his move on the climbs, the 24-year-old won the stage in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 3 seconds. It’s the Slovenian riders’ third stage win in this year’s race.

Hossein Alizadeh riding for Iran’s Tabriz Petrochemical Team retains his three jerseys - the polka-dot as the top climber, the blue awarded to the best Asian rider, and the yellow jersey for overall lead.