Ryan Gibbons (Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka) has won the 2017 Tour de Langkawi overall, making it the third win in a row for the team at the Malaysian UCI 2.HC event. Gibbons finished 33″ ahead of Cameron Bayly (IsoWhey Sports SwissWellness team) and a further two seconds ahead of Alberto Cecchin (Wilier Triestina) overall.

The final stage of the Tour de Langkawi came down to a small peloton of just 40 riders sprinting for the stage win with Travis McCabe (United Healthcare) first across the line, Anthony Giacoppo (IsoWhey Sports) was 2nd and Riccardo Stacchiotti (Nippo-Vini Fantini) placed 3rd and yellow jersey wearer Gibbons placing fourth.

This result was enough to ensure the 22-year-old South African won both the yellow leaders jersey and teal sprinters jersey overall. Gibbons was able to secure both jerseys after consistent performances over all eight stages, placing outside of the top ten just twice in eight days of racing, including his stage 5 win.

It was a very successful race for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka as Mekseb Debesay placed fifth overall and won stage 4. Ben O’Connor, like Gibbons, is a first year professional and the young Australian finished 8th overall.

Ryan Gibbons – “I am incredibly happy to have won the Tour de Langkawi overall. Being as ambitious as I am, I’m slightly disappointed to not have won today’s final stage. I was on the wheels of the Wilier riders through the final corner and those were just the wrong guys to be following today. But yes, I am really happy to win the yellow jersey, obviously it is the first of my career and I owe it to the amazing support of the team.”

“The guys were incredible all week, motivated by riding for our Qhubeka cause, they gave everything for me to win this jersey. It is a special victory for me and I have really learnt a lot this week. I will take the experience I have gained here to Europe now, where I hope to win more. This is only the start for me and I’m not putting a ceiling in, to what I can achieve as a rider.”

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