Ario Sejati claims men's downhill

Mio Suemasa (Japan) and Popo Ario Sejati (Indonesia) won the elite downhill championships at the Asian Continental Championships on Saturday in Malaysia.

Suemasa, a regular on the downhill and four cross World Cup circuit, defeated Risa Suseanty (Indonesia) by over 15 seconds and Aussanee Pradupyard (Thailand) by 27 seconds.

"The downhill track here is totally different from Japan, I hope that the Malaysian Cycling Federation can organize more mountain bike events here," said Suemasa, who also complimented organizers on the course.

Ario Sejati won the elite men's race ahead of Naoki Idegawa (Japan) and Tanaphon Jarupeng (Thailand) by four and 11 seconds respectively.

"I've only been competing for two years," said a happy Ario Sejati. "The other riders were also very competitive."

Japan also took top honors in the junior men's race. Kazuki Shimizu won by just over one second. Hildan Atosma Katana (Indonesia) was second and Muhammad Aim Mohd Fauzi (Malaysia) was third.

"The Asian (junior) competitors are as 'fierce' as in Europe," said Shimiz, who also added that he liked the track.
Both Atosma Katana and Mohd Fauzi were among those using the race as training for the upcoming SEA Games in Laos.

"I really hope to win gold in the upcoming SEA Games in Laos," said Atosma Katana.

"I'm very dissapointed that I didn't win the gold medal. If I am chosen to compete in SEA Games - Laos, I will do my best to make up for my loss here today," said Mohd Fauzi.

Thailand's Vipavee Deekaballes won the junior women's race ahead of Bui Thi Quyen (Vietnam) and Kuan Hui Wu (Chinese Taipei). Deekaballes' margin of victory was over one minute.

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Elite men
1Popo Ario Sejati (Indonesia)0:02:39.498
2Naoki Idegawa (Japan)0:00:04.119
3Tanaphon Jarupeng (Thailand)0:00:10.785
4Junya Nagata (Japan)0:00:11.782
5Hong Chun Tan (Singapore)0:00:15.754
6Stanley Jalip Jr. (Malaysia)0:00:16.077
7Jun-Sung Park (Korea)0:00:17.343
8Suherlan Agus (Indonesia)0:00:18.105
9Ian Francis Krempl (Singapore)0:00:20.788
10Sitichai Ketkaewmanee (Thailand)0:00:21.159
11Ssu Han Chiang (Chinese Taipei)0:00:22.696
12Tsui King Man (Hong Kong, China)0:00:23.530
13Ghazali Hakiki Ali Samson (Malaysia)0:00:25.517
14Seyedjamal Hosseini (Islamic Republic of Iran)0:00:25.838
15Lau Shu Sum (Hong Kong, China)0:00:26.196
16Hock Cheng Seow (Malaysia)0:00:27.823
17Mohd Herman Mohd Arsek (Singapore)0:00:28.023
18Eleazar Barba Jr. (Philippines)0:00:29.437
19Mohd Elmi Jumari (Malaysia)0:00:32.508
20Hossein Rafiei (Islamic Republic of Iran)0:00:36.784
21Amin Takandi (Islamic Republic of Iran)0:00:37.145
22Cheng Yu Chiang (Chinese Taipei)0:00:41.581
23Mohamad Reza Nouri (Islamic Republic of Iran)0:01:00.706
24Mohd Raihaan Abd Aziz (Brunei Darussalam)0:01:08.824
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Elite women
1Mio Suemasa (Japan)0:03:01.597
2Risa Suseanty (Indonesia)0:00:15.336
3Aussanee Pradupyard (Thailand)0:00:27.544
4Tomoko Iizuka (Japan)0:00:30.114
5Pei Ni Chou (Chinese Taipei)0:00:39.298
6Min-Hee Joo (Korea)0:01:09.152
7Norsyuhaini Othman (Malaysia)0:01:10.044
8Masziyaton Mohd Radzi (Malaysia)0:01:22.103
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Junior men
1Kazuki Shimizu (Japan)0:02:56.011
2Hildan Atosma Katana (Indonesia)0:00:01.309
3Muhammad Aim Mohd Fauzi (Malaysia)0:00:09.677
4Norshahriel Ahmad Nazali (Malaysia)0:00:13.860
5Jae-Kyu Lee (Korea)0:00:14.370
6Chatchai Jarupeng (Thailand)0:00:21.285
7Muhamad Fareez Borhanudin (Malaysia)0:00:32.759
8Sina Sahihi (Islamic Republic of Iran)0:00:39.403
9William Chan Yue Shin (Singapore)0:00:41.527
10Leung Chun Yin (Hong Kong, China)0:00:47.465
11Wei Chin Un (Chinese Taipei)0:00:49.865
12Ha The Long (Vietnam)0:01:43.513
13Leon Harith A.Hamid (Malaysia)0:01:43.840
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Junior women
1Vipavee Deekaballes (Thailand)0:03:42.402
2Bui Thi Quyen (Vietnam)0:01:05.466
3Kuan Hui Wu (Chinese Taipei)0:01:50.381

 

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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.

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