Riders finish on same time

Manama : Bahrain’s Merida Pro Cycling Team rider, Japanese Yukiya Arashiro (five hours 18 minutes 36 seconds) was classified as 95th on the 19th stage yesterday of the 104th Tour de France from Embrun to Salon-de-Provence over 222.5km as the riders head to the finale of the race tomorrow in Paris.

Arashiro was 12 minutes and 27 seconds behind the stage winner, Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen (5:06:09) of Team Dimension.

Bahrain’s other six riders left in the race all had the same times as teammate Arashiro and classified in the following order - Borut Bozic (Slovenia, 101st), Janez Brajlovic (Slovenia, 105th), Tsgabu Grmay (Ethiopia, 108th), Gregor Bole (Slovenia, 129th), Sonny Colbrelli (Italy, 132nd) and Javier Moreno (Spain, 137th).

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s eighth team member Oldrej Cink of the Czech Republic who was 110th after 18 stages and 25 minutes 46 seconds behind the race leader has pulled out on the 19th stage.

The tour began with 22 teams comprising 198 riders racing 21 stages over 3,540km in varying terrains such as flat courses, hills and the mountains, with the final stage on Sunday covering 103km over a flat course from Montgeron to the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

The tour resumes today with the 20th stage taking the remaining (167) riders onto a time trial in the Southern City of Marseille.