MANILA, Philippines - Jan Paul Morales bucked the tough field and chilly weather as he bagged the silver medal in the 35th Asian Cycling Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand to earn points for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
The 29-year-old Morales, a member of the Phl team that snared a bronze in the team road race, checked in at second out of 12 participants in the 15-kilometer race topped by Iranian Benham Khalili Khos Roshani.
Morales, a sprint specialist who won several stages in the annual Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC, later said he relied on his experience as a one-kilometer time trial rider by giving it all in the final stretch, outlasting his rivals from Korea, Chinese Taipei and Iran to clinch a podium finish.
“I had hard time adjusting to cold weather but I used my experience by giving it all in the final stretch, “ said Morales in Filipino in an interview with government-owned Sports Radio.
Morales, a native of Marikina who represented Navy-Standard Insurance in past Ronda editions, will compete alongside Alfie Catalan and Arnel de Jesus in another event – the points race – in Day Two hoping to earn more points for him to have a chance to make it to Rio.
Morales is the country’s first in the biennial race since Paulo Manapul took a silver in the same scratch event and Arnel Quiremit captured a silver also in road race in the 2011 ACC edition in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.