Cyclists in action during an
earlier race. Brunei's Ahmad
Rifa'ie Hj Johor finished
30th overall in the Tour de
East Java on Friday. Picture:
BT file
National cyclist Ahmad Rifa'ie Hj Johor finished 30th overall out of 65 cyclists with a total time of 9:39:17 in the Tour de East Java on Friday.
Rifa'ie finished in 33rd place during the final stage a 79km race from Sidoarjo to Padusan with a time of 2:10:42.
Rifa'ie told The Brunei Times, "I think I'm happy that I finished in the top 30 because most of the other teams sent their top riders."
"This was also the first time I've raced on mountain stages.
"I'maadi Abd Aziz and Reduan Yusop could have finished stage two race if there wasn't an accident before the climb where all the bikes collided.
"I'maadi was in good form and he's a good climber but unfortunately that's how he got knocked out of the race," added Rifa'ie.
Rifa'ie's previous clock-ins were 4:18:22 during the first stage and 3:10:49 in the second stage.
The other four national cyclists failed to complete the Tour.
I'maadi and Reduan were knocked out of the competition after failing to finish the 84.5km second stage within the time limit.
Muhammad Rafiuddin Zikara and Mohammad Nazri Mastan dropped out in the first stage of the tour after falling to the 180km route.
I'maadi who is seen as the best climber throughout his team said, "I feel really bad about being knocked out in stage two knowing that I have a pair of good legs at climbing."
"I got stuck behind the accident when the hill climb just started... I was 35 minutes off the first rider and if you go over 34 minutes it's considered over time," explained I'maadi.
Spanish rider Jose Vicente Toribo Alcolea who rides for UKYO (Japan) was the overall champion after winning the general classification with a total time of 9:09:36.
Two minutes behind Alcolea was Indonesia's Hari Fitrianto riding for CCN Cycling Team with a total time of 9:11:42.
UK's David Clarke of the Synergy Baku Cycling Project took third with 9:11:47.
