Barba leads RP quest in pre-SEAG mountainbike today

DANAO CITY - A downhill king will be proclaimed today as the pre-Southeast Asian Games Mountainbike Championship reels off at the famous but dangerous Manlayag-Patag here even as the seeding run was called off yesterday.

Instead of having the seeding run yesterday afternoon, organizers allowed the riders, both the national open and pre-SEA Games and Asian Invitational contenders to do their final practice.

National mainstay Joey Barba looked very impressive as far as his performance is concerned and is expected to lead the country's quest for gold and glory.

Along with Barba, who are bannering the RP's flag are Michael Borja, Parabanne Mendoza, Jefferson Odviar and lone female bet Athena Beltran.

But Borja, who was silver medallist in the first Southeast Asian Mountainbike Championships also held here, is targeting no less than the gold while Mendoza is expected to prove his worth after failing to finish last year.

The RP squad's bid, for supremacy, however, isn't easy at all with the presence of Singapore's Mohd Herman Bin Mohd Arsek and Thailand's Siticai Ketkaewmanee and Wiwit Pheungnor.

Two other foreign squads, Hongkong and Chinese-Taipei are also sending two downhill bets each.

Beltran, for her part, will have to tackle a single rider in the battle for gold in the person of Sattayanun Adbulkaree of Thailand. That is if, Indonesia's Rizza Susante will not be able to catch up today.

The RP squad's performance today and tomorrow for the cross-country will measure their chances for gold in the SEA Games proper set November 28-29 also here in Danao.

sAlso featured today is the National Open competition with no less than 40 downhillers from the different areas in the country joining in.

The national battle also serves as the third leg of the Quickflight Downhill Classic.