Dang Thanh Duoc secured the first king of the mountains jersey after stage 7 of the Ho Chi Minh City Television Cycling Cup 2026, a demanding 197.5 km ride from Nghe An to Dong Hoi (Quang Tri) that included the ascent of Ngang Pass.

As the second-longest stage of the race, it unfolded at a relentless pace, with riders launching repeated attacks from the outset in pursuit of bonus points along the route.

At the first intermediate sprint, Le Hai Dang (Dong Thap 1) crossed the line ahead of Trinh Duc Tam (An Giang) and Nguyen Tuan Vu (TP.HCM Vinama). Ngô Minh Quan (TP.HCM New Group) later claimed victory at the second sprint point.

The race intensified as a group of four riders broke away toward Ngang Pass, where points for the polka-dot jersey were on offer. With a determined effort, Dang Thanh Duoc (Hanoi) was the first to crest the climb, earning him the first mountains classification lead of this year’s competition.

After the descent, the peloton regrouped and the battle resumed. Trinh Duc Tam capitalized on his momentum to win the third sprint.

With around 30 km remaining, Patrick Patterson (Vinh Long) launched a solo attack, forcing Kenda Dong Nai to organize a chase to protect Marchuk Dzianis.

Patterson’s effort lasted until just 5 km from the finish before he was reeled in. In the final sprint, Marchuk Dzianis delivered a powerful acceleration to take a convincing stage victory, followed by Roman Maikin and Le Nguyet Minh.

The win marked Dzianis’ third stage triumph, allowing him to retain both the yellow jersey and the green jersey. Nguyen Van Nha held onto the orange jersey for the best Vietnamese rider, while the white jersey remained with Lam Gia Hao.

Stage 8 of the Ho Chi Minh City Television Cycling Cup - Ton Dong A 2026 will take place on April 10, covering 178 km from Dong Hoi to Hue.

Duy Nguyen