GAZALKENT, Uzbekistan – Marc Ryan Lago poured everything he got against the biting Uzbek cold made worse by the rain and a field more adept to freezing weather and wound up fifth in the Men Junior individual time trial of the Asian Cycling Championships for Road on Wednesday.
Lago raced for the first time in 11-degree (Centigrade) cold but overachieved.
The 18-year-old from Taguig City, the reigning Philippine juniors champion, pedaled no slower than 40 kph in the first half of the 30-km ITT and hiked his speed to 55 kph going back, in the process passing five riders sent off ahead of him at one-minute interval.
He crossed the finish situated in the middle of a long expressway in the outskirts of this quaint and laid back Uzbek city in 41 minutes and 37.45 seconds.
Kazakhstan’s Maxim Popugayev clocked 39:49.40 to win gold in the out-and-back ITT raced on a flat course, followed by Thailand’s Tullatorn Sosalam (40:16.66) and Uzbekistan’s Behzodbek Rakhimbaev (40:18.25) finished 1-2-3 in the race.
“It was so cold, but I tried to ignore it,” said Lago, who was dazed after crossing the finish and had to be carried by his head coach, Ednalyn Hualda, to the team car.
Thirteen riders competed in the Men Junior ITT, which was followed by the Under-23 ITT where 2018 Le Tour de Filipinas Best Young Rider Daniel Ven Carino is entered.
