Vietnamese cyclists' unsuccessful efforts in the cross-Vietnam cycling race

All three top finishers in stage 8 of the 2025 HTV Television Cup National Cycling Race on the afternoon of 10/4 were foreign riders, despite breakaway efforts by domestic cyclists such as Vo Thanh An and Nguyen Minh Viet.

Stage 8, a 178 km race from Quang Tri to Hue this morning, saw numerous unsuccessful breakaway attempts by cyclists. After the start, rider Vo Thanh An (Vinh Long) rode alone, accelerating to lead for about 70 km. This effort earned him two intermediate sprint prizes before the main peloton caught up.

Rider Vo Thanh An broke away from the main peloton for 70 km but was caught in stage 8 of the 2025 HTV Television Cup National Cycling Race from Quang Tri to Hue, on the afternoon of 10/4. Photo: Huy Pham

Next, Nguyen Minh Viet of TP HCM New Group escaped the main peloton and soloed to conquer sprint 3. Ilia Shchevgolkov (Nhu Binh Minh TP HCM) was the next to attempt a breakaway, taking the lead for about 30 km. However, with only 5 km remaining to the finish, the chasing group caught him, and they all launched a sprint to the finish line.

Yellow Jersey wearer Marchuk Dzianis initiated the sprint but could not win the stage. Vinh Long rider Zachary Patrick Patterson surged ahead in the final meters, crossing the finish line first right in front of Phu Van Lau, Hue, at 4 hours, 19 minutes, 42 seconds, achieving an average speed of 41,12 km/h.

Patterson celebrates his stage 8 victory in the 2025 HTV Television Cup National Cycling Race from Quang Tri to Hue, on the afternoon of 10/4. Photo: Huy Pham

Dzianis finished second, while Popov Anton (Thanh Hoa) took third place.

Patterson, from New Zealand, born in 2003, specializes in road racing, suited for flat stages or those with mass sprints. He is a strong sprinter, skilled at choosing strategic positions within the peloton and accelerating powerfully in the final meters. This marks the second stage victory for the Vinh Long team rider, following stage 3 around Hoan Kiem Lake (Ha Noi).

The sprint to the finish of stage 8.

This victory also helped Patterson narrow the Green Jersey points gap with Dzianis to 23 points. Other classifications remained unchanged, with Dzianis still holding both the Yellow Jersey and Green Jersey. The White Jersey remained with Lam Gia Hao (Dong Thap), and the Orange Jersey – for the best Vietnamese rider – went to Nguyen Van Nha (Dong Nai). Dong Nai continued to lead the team classification.

The TP HCM Television Cup - Ton Dong A 2026 National Cycling Race takes place from 3/4 to 30/4. The peloton started from Phu Tho, the ancestral land of the Vietnamese people, associated with the worship of the Hung Kings and the sacred Hung Kings Temple historical site.

The race then traverses 25 stages, covering a total distance of 2,745 km, passing through provinces and cities from north to south, before finishing at Thong Nhat Hall, TP HCM, on 30/4.

Cyclists cross Hien Luong Bridge, Quang Tri, in stage 8 of the 2025 HTV Television Cup National Cycling Race from Quang Tri to Hue, on the afternoon of 10/4. Photo: Huy Pham

This year's race features a record number of foreign cyclists, with 13 riders from leading cycling nations such as Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Belarus, Colombia, and Rwanda. The total prize money is nearly 2 billion dong, with the overall Yellow Jersey winner receiving 200 million, the Orange Jersey 100 million, the team champion 100 million, the Green Jersey (king of sprint) 50 million, the Red Jersey (king of mountains) 50 million dong, and the White Jersey (best young rider) 30 million.

Tomorrow, 11/4, the peloton will have a rest day in Hue before competing in stage 9 around Trang Tien - Phu Xuan (Hue) on 12/4.