CEBU, Philippines - Cebu's pride John Rene Mier gave himself a timely birthday present and set a bright tone for Team Philippines as well after he bested a strong field of opposition to wrest the men's open title as Indonesian Kusmawati Yazid dominated the women's elite division during Day One of the 2014 ASEAN Mountainbike Cup-Series 1 at the treacherous Manlayag-Patag race course in Danao City.
Mier, who turned 22 years old yesterday, was in the middle of the second row at the starting line since he had no much points yet in mountainbiking.
It was Ireezbone Barrientos who led the charge in the early goings of the race, but Mier, using a borrowed bike from triathlete Noy Jopson, bravely overtook the early leaders one after the other.
Mier, who is under the Philippine Navy and supported by Standard Insurance, eventually got hold of the lead during the second lap. He miscalculated an obstacle and stumbled in the ensuing lap, but was able to get up right away to complete the five-lap battle of 4.2-kilometers per lap with the best time of one hour, 28 minutes and 37 seconds.
The 22-year-old Mier was a minute and 59 seconds ahead of Barrientos, who blocked in 1:30:36, while Cycle Line's John Earl Sagarino wound up third in 1:31:31.
"Layo gyud ko pag-start pero may gani nakuha ra nako sila (I was far behind from the start but it's a good thing that I was able to catch them up)," said Mier, a member of the national track cycling team who shifted to mountainbiking after learning that there will be no track events in the next two editions of the Southeast Asian Games.
Aside from winning the coveted crown, Mier also felt good having raced in Danao again after close to a decade.
"It's good to be back here because I really started with mountainbike in Danao eight years ago. I am even happier that I won the gold," added Mier.
Mier is entered in the men's open since he still has no UCI points in mountainbike that qualify him for the men's elite category scheduled today along with the masters and downhill events.
In the women's elite, Yazid, a gold medallist in last year's SEA Games in Myanmar, was way ahead of her opponents with a time of 1:28:49.
She beat fellow Indonesian Willhelmina Tutuarima, who clocked in 1:31:57, while Phl's Avegail Rombaon came out third in 1:45:17.
Another Phl team member, Ariana Dormitorio, was unopposed in the women's juniors category after Cebuana Ana Patricia Maximo was denied entry due to age requirement.
Dormitorio's victory though still came out sweet as she posted an impressive time of 1:06:29, which is close to the time of 1:06:24 logged in by men's junior division winner Jake Aldrin Rivera of Team Primas/Isuzu Dmax.
Rivera was trailed by Gilbert Enarcisco, while Alvin Leong Vui Chung of Sabah, Malaysia settled for third with a 1:11:00 clocking.
In the 3-lap women's open battle, Feliz Matilda Nepomuceno bagged the top spot with a time of 1:47:41, while Mei Martha Lee of Singapore placed second as the three other entries did not show. (FREEMAN)