Cross-country riders cap Japan’s dominant drive

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — From downhill to cross-country, the Japanese were simply relentless, unforgiving.

Living up to all the expectations, Japan’s cross-country riders swept all three gold medals disputed yesterday to reaffirm their undisputed dominance of the 10th Asian Mountain Bike Championships here.

The event, which kicked off four days ago, finally came to a close under the bright afternoon sky with the Japanese, with their enviable racing equipment, winning all five events they were entered in.

They posted one-two finishes in the men’s and women’s downhill races Saturday and duplicated the feat in the cross-country where Kenji Takeya and Rie Katayama won the men’s and women’s gold medals, respectively, and Ken Onodera winning the boys’ race.

Takeya, a gold medallist in the 2002 Busan Asian Games, had a winning time of two hours, two minutes and 48 seconds in the race where the riders circled the rugged 5.8 km course six times.

Another Japanese, Takamori Yamaguchi, took the silver in 2:04.22 while Thailand’s Tawatchai Masae settled for the bronze in 2:05.27. 

All four Filipino riders did not finish the massed-start race. Eusebio Quinones and Frederick Feliciano encountered mechanical trouble as early as the second lap and stepped down after the fourth while Rafael Cortez and Ruel Casaljay were eliminated after being overlapped by the leaders on the fourth.

In the women’s side, Katayama won by a mile, clocking 2:13.28, followed by compatriot Izumi Takahashi in 2:19.51 and Thailan’d Pornbanchoeokul Chindarat 12.53 seconds behind.

The Philippines’ Marites Bitbit crashed out of the race after her front wheel snapped off her bike after in a downhill stretch in the second lap. She crashed straight into a tree, was brought to a nearby hospital and was discharged later on.

Onodera won the five-lap race for boys’ in one hour, 45 minutes and 53 seconds followed by the Philippines’ Nino Surban by more than four minutes and Malaysia’s Stanley Jalip by more than eight minutes.

"Masayang-masaya ako dahil Asian event ito," said Surban, winner of the bronze during the same event in Taiwan two years ago.