Cebuano Nino Surban ranked fourth out of the 24 elite riders in the Tahtiyr Mountainbike Competition last Sunday at Tampines Mountain in Singapore.
Surban survived a mechanical trouble and a muddy man-made race course to finish the 42-kilometer action under the top five list.
With some of the competitors already aware that Surban is a top-caliber rider, they blocked his way up right from the start.
Adding to his woes Surban, the only Pinoy rider in the race, had to deal with a chain suck due to the muddy tracks that caused him to slow down.
Inspite of that, Surban managed to have a decent finish that made his benefactor and coach, Danao City councilor Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez, Jr., decide to bring the 20-year-old rider to another international race early next month in Penang, Malaysia. — Caecent No-ot Magsumbol