Rivera prevents shutout in cycling’s crosscountry
HOA BINH City—jericho Rivera clinched a bronze medal in mountain bike’s crosscountry for men on Monday for the Philippines’ third cycling medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Rivera clinched a medal in his international debut. He held his ground against more experienced opponents in the four-lap 20.80-km race particularly against two grizzled Indonesians who finished 1-2 in the event.
“I stuck with them [Indonesians] for more than three laps, but they didn’t break,” said Rivera, who clocked one hour and 20.40 seconds in securing the country’s third bronze medal after John Derick Farr and Naomi Gardoce in men’s and women’s downhill on Sunday.
Indonesians Zainal Fanani and Ihza Muhammad showed legs of steel to occupy the top of the podium. Fanani clocked 1:16.41 and finished some two and a half minutes ahead of his compatriot.
“It’s a satisfying bronze for Jerico,” said Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez, Philcycling’s vice president and head of the MTB commission. “Tomorrow, we’ll have another shot at the gold.”
The mixed relay event is set on Tuesday, the first time that the MTB race is being included in the SEA Games. Each team will have two men and two women riders who’ll alternate in riding the course.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expressed satisfaction over the cyclists’ performance so far and hoped for more medals in the mixed relay and road events.
“Congratulations to the cyclists, they did a good race,” said Tolentino, who also heads the Philcycling.
The women’s team didn’t fare well but got precious experience that they’ll nurture for their budding careers, particularly national team first timers Nicole Quinones and Shagne Yao.
Quinones finished sixth (1:28.48) and Yaoyao 11th (1:33.14) in the threelap 15.60-km race Vietnam’s Dinh Thi Nhu Quynh (1:18.06) easily ruled.
The country’s top crosscountry female rider, Ariana Thea Patrice Dormitorio, completed the race at 10 out of 14 participants in 1:32.38.
Malaysia’s Nur Assyira Zainal Abidin (1:22.14) and Natashya Soon (1:23.00) completed the podium.
Racing for the Philippine in the crosscountry mixed relay set at 9 a.m. (Hanoi time) are Rivera, Yaoyao, Quinones and Flores in that order.