GREATER NOIDA, Mar 13: Indian junior cyclists today made a disappointing start in the road race competitions as Sunita Devi and Rohit failed to finish even in top 10 of their respective time trial events at the Asian Championships here.
In the men’s junior time trial event, Rohit finished 11th as he clocked 39 minutes 37.308 secs to complete the 28.2 km race at the Buddha International Circuit.
Sunita Devi finished 12th in Women’s Individual Time Trial event with a timing of 42 mins 36.593 secs.
Kazakhstan rider Dmitry Rive clinched the opening medal of road events as he finished the 17-cyclist time trial race in 36 mins 12.318 secs while Masaki Yamamoto (36 mins 24.222) of Japan bagged the silver. The bronze medal went to Iran’s Mahdi Ebadallahirafsanjani (37 mins 28.706 secs).
Mongolia’s Enkhjargal Tuvshinjargal created a piece of history when she won her country’s first ever gold medal in he Individual Time Trial (Women Elite) event. She completed the 25.6 km race in 37 mins 27.303 secs. The silver and bronze went to Japan’s Minami Uwano (39 mins 30.090 secs) and Wan Yiu Jamie (39 mins 42. 824 secs) of Hong Kong respectively.
“I raced together with the group up to the 15-km point before breaking for a marginal lead up to the 22-km mark. In the last three kilometres I sprinted to make it to the finishing point,” Enkhjargal said.
“The summer in Mongolia is similar to India , so it wasn’t too tough too adjust here. But from September to February, it is extremely cold, the weather plummeting to minus 20 degree Celsius. I had to practice one month in Korea before coming here,” she added.
Pakistan’s Sabiha Bibi, who arrived in New Delhi last night, finished 18th with a timing of 48 mins 51.655 secs.
Another Indian Geeturaj, who was competing in her maiden international event, finished ninth in women junior time trial in 22 mins 01.281 secs, her personal best effort.
The race was won by Yao Pang of Hong Kong, who had won three gold in track races, in 19 mins 54.693 secs in the 14.2 km race. Kazakhstan’s Yekaterina Yuraitis (20 mins 36.061 secs) won silver while the bronze went to Razan Soboh (20 mins 40.630 secs) of Jordan. (PTI)
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