MINLE, China, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Belarus rider Siarhei Papok of Minsk Cycling Club came first with a time of 3:44:42 to take the ninth stage of the 18th Tour of Qinghai Lake on Monday.

Daniel Lopez of Burgos BH and Eduard Grosu from Delko Marseille came second and third respectively.

Grosu also maintained his green jersey as best sprinter.

The ninth stage, spanning 160 kilometers, started at Menyuan and finished at Minle containing three KOM's.

Winding mountain roads and long open straights made for a complex race.

This stage saw an altitude down from 3,744 meters to about 2,000 above sea level, and the altitude of the remaining stages will continue to drop, making the race more fierce as riders will have more energy to sprint.

After this stage, Chalapud still leads the overall race and was proud to maintain that position.

XDS'S Fedosseyev won the blue jersey, symbol of the best Asian rider, while the polka-dot jersey, the award for the best climber, went to Aguieer from Japan's Interpro Cycling Academy (IPC).

This year's Tour OF Qinghai Lake will last 14 days and cover 3,001 kilometers.