More than 80 seasoned riders from eight Asian countries vie for top honors today as the 2015 Asean MTB Cup opens in Barangay Manlayag Patag in Danao City, north Cebu.
Leading the local challenge will be national team bets including cross country racer Cebuano John Mier, downhill specialist Eleazar Barba of Dumaguete City, cross country bet Jigo Mendoza and Ariana Dormitorio and Avigail Rumbaon who will compete in women’s cross country.
Installed pre-race favorites are members of the Hong Kong national team led by coach Mak Ho Lun and downhiller Li Chi Shing and the Malaysian team bannered by lady downhiller Natahsya Soon.
Also set to see action in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Class 3 race are teams from Singapore, Indonesia, China, Bhutan and Timor Leste.
During yesterday’s press conference, Malaysia’s Soon promised to beat all the ASEAN participants this year after missing last year’s race due to a freak accident a day before the event.
Soon was traversing a treacherous downhill course in Brgy. Manlayag Patag when she met an accident and broke her collarbone.
“This is my third time to race here in the Philippines and I hope that I will beat all the ASEAN riders this year,” said Soon.
Meanwhile, Filipina cycling star, Dormitorio, a bronze medalist in the 20th Asian MTB Championships and 6th Asian Junior MTB Championships in Indonesia last November, is hoping her month-long training in San Mateo, Rizal will be enough to enable her to bag the Elite Women’s division crown.
UCI International Commissaires Piñaki Baisac of India and Beatrice Lajawa of Malaysia, who were also present during the forum, lauded the organizers of the Danao race, saying they made a very fine albeit very technical race course.