ELITE cyclist Marella Vania Salamat did not make the podium at the Bahrain Asian Cycling Championships last month but definitely earned the experience she needs for the Kuala Lumpur 29th Southeast Asian Games last August.
The individual time-trial winner in the Singapore Sea Games two years ago found the opposition in Bahrain too tough to crack and finished the road race at 25th place and the time trial at eighth position.
The 23-year-old pride of Bugallon in Pangasinan finished four minutes and 12 seconds behind gold medalist Qianyu Yang of Hong Kong in the 89.6-kilometer course.
Qianyu clocked two hours, 32 minutes and 50 seconds to win gold, beating South Korea’s Na Ahreum and Japan’s Miho Yoshikawa, who submitted the same time in the race. The field was composed of 31 cyclists.
It wasn’t a total frustration for Salamat, who was the country’s lone rider in the road event.
“It was a challenge racing on the technical course with tough headwind, heat combined with a bit of cold, and being alone fighting for the country in the elite category, it was a challenge to keep up,” Salamat said.
Salamat was in the thick of the race in the early going and joined a seven-cyclist breakaway with three more laps to go. It was at that point when Qianyu bolted in front, towing Na and Yoshikawa, a lead they kept to the finish.
Salamat booked a modest performance in the time trial that drew 14 participants. She was close to four minutes off Hongtu Liang of China, who clocked 36 minutes and 48 seconds in the 25.6-kilometer race.
Salamat was the fastest among Southeast Asian riders in the time trial, beating by more than one minute Malaysia’s Grace Phang, Singapore’s Ethel Lin Zhiyun and Thailand’s Supaksom Nunthana.
Hong Kong dominated the championship with six gold, three silver and four bronze medals, followed by China, with 5-2-2, and South Korea, with 4-9-5.
Salamat is currently leading the national team’s campaign in the Biwasi Cup in Vietnam. Joining her are Avegail Rombaon, Irish Yang Wong and Batang Pinoy standout Genesis Maraña, and Coach Cesar Lobramonte and mechanic Edwin Niyo.
The race covers 830 km and has lured eight foreign teams, which are competing against 10 domestic squads. A pot prize of $18,000 is at stake.
Salamat will see action only in the road race in Kuala Lumpur after organizers scrapped the women’s time trial from the program.