State cyclists tackle MTB XCO Lundu Challenge

LUNDU: The Sarawak State Sports Council ( MSNS) team of eight cyclists had a commendable out ing in last we ekend’s MTB XCO Chal lenge Lundu Championships.

ComprisingridersfromKuching, Bintulu and Sibu, they faced their strongest resistance against the Kedah MSN team which won the Boys U18, the Women’s Open and Time Trial events.

Ivan Ong from MSN Kuching was second behind Kedah’s Muhammad IbniHissam Abdul Rauf in the XCO boys U18 (4.5 x 5 laps) while Tay Choon Liang, also from MSN Kuching, who finished second in the mountainbike cross country at the Lubuk Linggau Mountainbike national championships held in Sumatra in July, was fourth.

Teammates Brandon Lee and Brandon Lau finished in fifth and sixth spots.

Assistant state coach Laurel Lauridsen Adrian also got into the act by winning the Open category and was also runner-up in the time trial event held on the first day on Saturday.

Sarawak head coach Leon Schepersdescribedthecompetition as an exposure for the cyclists, most of whom are still new to competition.

This is part of his working plan and build-up in preparation for the next Sukma in Perak next Sept.

He advised the coaches of the need to concentrate on their riders and not get distracted by the performances of other riders “for winning does not mean you will win in Sukma.”

The exposure trip was also good for Sibu riders Samuel Tie and Jackson Ting who had their first test of the mountainbike competitions terrain as they had been training in open gravel track near timber camp sites in Sibu.

About 50 cyclists took part in the two- day mountainbike competition.