The eighth stage of the Chinese Tour of Qinghai Lake was fought out today. Extending over 225 kilometers from Xunhua to Lintao, this demanding stretch starts out with an ascent to the "hors categorie" king-of-the-mountain after 50 kilometers. Sergiy Lagkuti from Kolss Cycling Team was the day's victor. In the pursuit group, Daniel Schorn of NetApp – Endura sprinted to 10th place (to be confirmed). There was no change in the overall standings going into tomorrow's rest day, leaving Frantisek Padour and Cesare Benedetti in 5th and 9th places (to be confirmed) respectively.

"From the start we saw some proper bicycle racing again today, with plenty of attacks following a very fast start. The first 50 kilometers were uphill, rising to an altitude of 1,700 meters. We were among the first thirty riders over the mountain. Breakaway riders were kept marked, and we were in the final chase. We had hoped to prepare the sprint for Daniel in the group, but the vanguard riders maintained a slight lead over the undulating terrain all the way to the finish. I am pleased that we were able to defend our good position after this hard day," commented André Schulze, looking forward to a day of rest.

Website Tour of Qinghai Lake