MATHILDA KROG gets ready to slingshot herself in front in the second of two intermediate sprints. | contrivuted photo
MATHILDA KROG got herself atop the intermediate podium and Team Philippines booked its best finish so far in the penultimate Stage 9 of the 13th Biwase Cup in Vietnam on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Krog, a mainstay of the Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance squad, edged three Vietnamese in a mad dash in the second of two intermediate sprints in the 115-km stage that started from Lagi Town in Bình Thuận to Vũng Tàu City.
The daughter of PhilCycling national team coach Marita Lucas also led a three-Philippine top 10 finish by winding up seventh ahead of Marianne Dacumos (eighth) and Jelsie Sabado (ninth) in the race Vietnamese Tran Thi ThuyTrang ruled in two hours, 54 minutes and 42 seconds 2:45:42.
MATHILDA KROG strikes an exhausted pose after the sprint. | contributed photo
Kate Yasmin Velasco, Avegail Rombaon, Maura de los Reyes and Mhay Ann Linda arrived in a big sixth group close to one-and-a-half minutes later for Team Philippines fielded in the race by the PhilCycling in preparation for the Cambodia 31st Southeast Asian Games.
With the Filipinas on the attack, Team Philippines took second place for team stage honors behind overall leader Tuyen Biwase-Binh Duong. Team Philippines, however, remained at seventh place in the team general classification, more than 38 minutes behind the top Vietnamese squad.
Batriya Chaniporn held on to a 23-second over fellow Thai Somrat Phetdarin and 1:05 over Vietnamese Bui Thi Quynh in the general classification with only the 120-km Stage 10 from Vũng Tàu City to Thủ Dầu Một City (Bình Dương) left to be disputed in the race organized by the Vietnam Cycling Federation.
MATHILDA KROG represents Team Philippines as the No. 2 squad in Stage 9. | contributed photo
There were slight movements for the Filipinas in the general classification—Dacumos improved one rung to No. 16, Velasco dropped three places to No. 25 and so did De los Reyes three notches to No. 27.
Rombaon was 34 from 30th, Sabado 37 from 38th, Krog 39th from 42nd and Linda 58 from 57th also in the general classification.
/bmjo
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Velasco leads Team PHL attack in Stage 8 of Biwase Cup