German rules road race; Salamat third

MANILA, Philippines - Marela Salamat lost steam in a spirited sprint duel with Poland’s Nikol Plofaj for silver, settling for third in the World University Cycling Championships’ women’s road event won by Romy Kasper of Germany in Tagaytay City yesterday.

Kasper virtually led all the way from the Nasugbu start to the finish in front of the Tagaytay International Convention Center and took the gold with a 2:42:48 clocking over a tough course.

Plofaj checked in four minutes, 12 seconds behind Kasper, who completed a Germany sweep in the women’s road events of the event conducted by Le Tour de Filipinas organizer Donna Lina.

She also topped the criterium at Canyon Woods on Thursday.

Salamat, fresh from her stint in a UCI race in Vietnam, was a mere second behind Plofaj.

“I tried to win the silver but I got pinned in the mad dash to the finish,” said Salamat, a gold medal winner in the women’s individual time trial (ITT) of the Singapore Southeast Asian Games last year.

Salamat’s bronze feat completed the gold medal won by Ryan Cayubit in men’s criterium, also last Thursday at Canyon Woods.

Twenty-six cyclists from 12 countries answered the starting gun but only half managed to complete the race. Among those who did not finish were the entire Korea team (three members) and China (four).

Marela’s teammate Avegail Rombaon finished 27 minutes behind while Ana Katrina Angelo rode the Sag Wagon.