By winning Stage 22 from My Tho (Tien Giang) to Can Tho, covering 115 kilometers, Nick Kergozou has moved closer to breaking the record at the Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup cycling race.

The stage highlighted a remarkable solo effort by Nguyen Truc Xinh (HCMC New Group), who launched an attack right from the start. He bravely led the race solo for most of the distance, capturing both intermediate sprint prizes before being caught by the main group just 5 kilometers from the finish line.

On the Can Tho Bridge slope, the race became fiercely competitive as top foreign riders like Savva Novikov and Mikhail Fokin launched powerful attacks. Pham Le Xuan Loc also joined the charge in an effort to claim the orange jersey from Nguyen Hoang Sang, but ultimately, his bid was unsuccessful.

Despite the flurry of attacks in the final 5 kilometers, the Vinh Long team executed excellent teamwork to control the peloton’s pace and position their lead sprinter Nick Kergozou perfectly for the finish.

Supported by his teammates, the New Zealand rider once again showcased his class, launching a strong sprint to cross the finish line first in Can Tho, earning his ninth stage victory at this year’s tournament.

With this latest triumph, Nick Kergozou is now within striking distance of the tournament record of 10 stage wins, set by Russian cyclist Petr Rikinov.

On April 28, the Ho Chi Minh City Television Cup 2025 - Ton Dong A will continue with Stage 23, racing from Can Tho to Ben Tre over a distance of 134.5 kilometers.

Duy Nguyen