Team Kazakhstan’s Kiril Kazantsev (middle) and Japan’s Yu Takenouchi (left) at the start of the Asia MTB Series’ men’s XCO race at Tambunan, Sabah on Saturday.
KUCHING: The Sabah leg of the UCI’s Asia Mountainbike Series at Tambunan saw top ranked riders ruled the roost.
Team Kazakhstan’s Kiril Kazantsev stamped his class on the field enroute to beating Japan’s Yu Takenouchi by 40 secs in the men’s XCO.
The Kazakh led from the start with the Japanese taking over briefly in the third lap.
However, once he retook the lead he held it to win the six-lap (25.2km) race in 1hr 21:12 secs.
“It was a very hard race and every lap was a fight,” he said.
Takenouchi acknowledged he was facing a stronger opponent.
“I tried to be in front but Kiril just kept attacking and he is much better in the climbs,” he said.
“It was a good try for me but Kiril was stronger in the last three laps.”
However, the Japanese ace still ended up with the Series’ leaders jersey as he was third at Yawatahama.
Team SBS Giant’s Muaz Abdul Rahim won the Malaysian championship part of the race.
Team captain Fauzan A. Lufti was supposed to defend his title but had to race at elsewhere in the World Police Games.
“He told me that I had to win this, so I just tried my best,” said Muaz.
Unfortunately, teammate Maziyaton RadzI failed to defend her national XCO title which she had held since 2011.
Pahang’s Siti Aisyah Alias won to become the new UCI Malaysian champion.
Ariana Dormitario of the Philippines won the 21km race in 1hr 25:49secs with Siti 7:29secs back.
Thailand’s Siriluck Warapiang was third.
Australia’s Matthew Dinham won the 21km men’s junior XCO in 1hr 10:22 to beat Kotaru Murukami by 3:06secs.
Kazakh Denis Sergiyenko was third.
Taiwan’s Yen Yu Shuang took the 16.8km women’s junior XCO in 1hr 19:05 to beat Tatyana Bogdanova with Kuala Lumpur’s Nur Deena Safia in third.
Filipino Eleazar Barba was the only one to break four minutes when he won the downhill race.
SBS Giant’s Aim Fauzi was the top Malaysian to also become national champion.
Sabah’s Natashya Soon won the women’s downhill to also claim a national title.
Giant’s Maziyaton won the women’s XC Eliminator with teammate Muaz taking the men’s race to both become national XCE champions.
Sarawak had several competitors in the race with Team Corbusier’s evergreen masters racer Supian Nor taking second spot in the Master B. Lee Yong Hui, a privateer, was fifth.