Wong Kam-po closed the gap between himself and the overall leader to just 41 seconds after stage nine of the US$340,000 Marlboro Tour of the Philippines yesterday.
The Hong Kong rider showed that he can sprint as well as tackle the mountains when he finished third in yesterday's 40-kilometre criterium in Baguio City, completing the 20 laps in one hour, six minutes and 23 seconds.
Defending champion, Filipino Victor Espiritu, overtook compatriot Carlo Guieb for the yellow jersey after finishing fourth in the race, which featured a one-two finish from Korean pair Ji Sung-hwang and Jo Ho-sung.
Wong was in high spirits after the Baguio section of the 2,500-kilometre Tour, during which time he soared from more than 10 minutes behind the overall leader to a mere 41 seconds.
Yesterday, he joined Jo, Espiritu, who recorded the same time as Wong, and Indonesian Tonton Susaton in a foursome who held the lead for most of the race, before Ji made a late charge to win in 1:05:39.
'There is still a long way to go,' said Wong, who finished 44 seconds behind Ji yesterday. 'We've completed a little more than half the race and the lead could change many times. Espiritu is in the lead now and he is a very good rider. I think we are pretty equal, but he knows the route better than me.
