HTV-Ton Dong A Television Cup 2025: Fokin keeps the Yellow Jersey after the Khanh Le Pass stage

On the morning of April 21, the 141 km race from the coastal city of Nha Trang to the "roof of the Central Highlands" Da Lat is considered a key stage in the race to the final titles.

Immediately after the starting signal, a group of 13 non-title riders successfully broke away and maintained a high speed for most of the stage. However, the highlight of the stage was the battle at Khanh Le Pass - a 29km grade 1 pass with an altitude of more than 1,600m, where the strong riders began to make their decisive moves.

Samuel Jenner (620 Chau Thoi Vinh Long) was the first to fire the gun but was quickly followed closely by Mikhail Fokin (Loc Troi An Giang Group). The Russian racer was not alone as Savva Novikov (Binh Minh Binh Duong Plastic) also made a strong breakthrough to create a powerful "three-horse race" at the top of the pass.

Near the top, Jenner ran out of breath, leaving the stage for a breathtaking speed battle between two Russian foreign players. Savva Novikov was the first to reach the top of the pass, winning all 30 climbing points, thereby surpassing Fokin to take the red polka dot jersey. He did not stop there, continuing to demonstrate his absolute strength when he was the first to conquer Giang Ly Pass - the final pass of the tournament.

With all four important passes (An Khe, Mang Yang, Khanh Le and Giang Ly) won, Savva Novikov only needs to complete the remaining stages on time to officially be crowned this year's "king of mountain climbing".

Finishing in Da Lat after 3 hours 52 minutes 14 seconds, Mikhail Fokin and Savva Novikov took turns to cross the line first, creating a perfect race for the Russian duo. The group behind with Johnny Hoogerland, Samuel Jenner, Nguyen Hoang Sang, Pham Le Xuan Loc, Ethan Batt and Loic Desriac tried to close the gap but could not close the gap.

Mikhail Fokin successfully defended his Yellow Jersey after winning stage 17 in Da Lat

Notably, the internal competition between Nguyen Hoang Sang (Le Fruit Maxxis Dong Nai ) and Pham Le Xuan Loc (Military Zone 7) continued to be tense. The two Vietnamese riders finished first in the domestic group, successfully defending the Orange Jersey (best Vietnamese rider) and the White Jersey (best young rider) after 17 stages.

Behind, the green jersey rider Nick Kergozou (620 Vinh Long Agriculture ) was at one point more than 18 km behind the leading group. The entire Vinh Long team had to "stretch themselves" to support him to reach the finish line within the time limit (+15% of the total time).

His unwavering efforts helped the New Zealander successfully defend his sprint king title.

On April 22, the racing team entered stage 18 - a 51 km lap around Xuan Huong Lake (Da Lat), promising dramatic sprints.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cup-truyen-hinh-htv-ton-dong-a-2025-fokin-giu-ao-vang-sau-chang-vuot-deo-khanh-le-196250421134941373.htm