Filipino riders finish sixth in mountain bike

SUBANG, Indonesia – John Derrick Farr and Leah Belgira settled for identical sixth-place finishes in mountain bike, cycling’s downhill event which host Indonesia dominated with a sweep of the gold medals in the 18th Asian Games here yesterday.

Farr, 22, finished eight seconds slower than gold medal winner Khoiful Mukhib, who timed two minutes, 16.687 seconds.

Belgira, also 22 and an Asian Games first-timer like Farr, was 22 seconds off another local bet, Tiara Andini Prastika (2:33.056).

“It was a pure home-court advantage,” said Oscar Rodriguez, PhilCycling’s MTB commission chairman who also worked the race as an international commissaire for the cycling discipline.

Organizers allowed only one track walk and a tight three-hour practice ride for all foreign riders on the eve of the competitions, while the Indonesians, as hosts, had the luxury of making the course their home for the last three months.

“Had we ridden the course several times, we could have done better, if not vied for the podium,” said Farr, who bagged a bronze medal as a junior in the 2014 Asian championships.

For Guimaras pride Belgira, her sixth-place finish was more than enough to fuel her passion for the event even more.

“I will train some more and focus on competitions like the Asian Games,” she said.

Chinese-Taipei’s Chiang Shengshang (1.493 seconds behind) clinched silver and Thailand’s Suebsakun Sukchanya (1.762 behind) bagged bronze in the men’s contest.

It was a 1-3 finish for Indonesia in the women’s race with Nining Porwaningsih (9.6-8 behind) completing the podium.