ZHANGYE, China, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Sacha Modolo from Italy's Bardiani Valcole - CSF INOX (BAR) sprinted to his second straight victory and kept his green jersey which represents the best sprinter on Tuesday in the ninth stage of the 12th Tour of Qinghai Lake cycling race.

Pourseyedigolakhour Mirsamad of Iran's Tabriz Petrochemical Team (TPT) retained his yellow, blue and polka-dot jersey, which represents the leader of general classification, best Asian rider and best climber respectively.

The ninth stage was a five-lap circuit race which spanned 117 kilometers in the city of Zhangye in Gansu Province, with two sprints and no climb. The altitude throughout this stage stayed below 1,500 meters above sea level.

Owing to lower altitudes and flat roads, this stage was easier than previous ones, with the competitive edge shifted from climbers to sprinters, according to Alexander Donike, the chief referee of the race.