Monday, April 10, 2006
Mendoza rules Asian duathlon race
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga. – Ryan "Bad Boy" Mendoza, proving his victory in Thailand two weeks ago was no fluke, scored an impressive come-from-behind victory Sunday in the Clark-Asian Duathlon Championship at the Clark Expo Grounds here.
Pushed to the limit by Australian guest Entry Rafael Baugh and top seed Takashi Nakata, the 29-year-old Mendoza responded by dominating the cycling leg of the 10K run, 40K bike and 5K event en route to victory in one hour, 55 minutes and 47 seconds.
Mendoza, a native of Guagua, Pampanga, kept his winning streak in all duathlon races here going, including four straight national duathlon championships. Aside from winning P40,000, Mendoza avenged his defeat to Japan's Kodo Hiramatshu in the 2002 Asian Duathlon Championship at Subic two years ago where he finished second
Baugh finished second overall in 1:55.11 but, being a non-Asian, he did not qualify for the Asian championship. Second place instead went to Hiramatsu who clocked 1:57.45 while Nakata was third, clocking 1:58.24. Hiramatsu bagged P30,000 and Nakata pocketed P20,000.
National triathlon champion Arland Macasieb of the Philippines missed a podium finish, coming in fourth in 1:58.44.
In the Under-23 race, Hong Kong's Lamuel Lau Ching Yin won with a clocking of 1:59.19, followed by two Filipinos – national team member Augusto Benedicto in 2:07.16 and Jay-Ar Obial in 2:11.38.
With other female foreign entries from Hongkong, Korea, and Macau opting to join the sprint race, RP triathlon team members Mimi Lucas and Lea Coline Langit hogged the limelight and finished 1-2 in the women's open race and the Under-20 division.
Baugh and Nakata teamed up early in the race, setting a fast pace in the 10K run, but Mendoza wisely stayed behind them, aware he could easily leave the two behind in the bike stage.
"Alam ko hindi ko sila kaya sa 10K run kaya sunod lang ako sa kanila. Alam ko sa bike kakayanin ko sila," said Mendoza, a father of five who finished a minute behind the pace-setting duo in the run stage.
The two also led the bike stage early but Mendoza finally grabbed the lead in the third loop and sped away, building a huge lead he used as cushion in the final 5K run stage of the race.
Lucas and Langit clocked 2:33.37 and 2:36.38, respectively, followed by national women's duathlon champion Rizzo Tangan who crossed the finish line in 2:37.12.
"I did not expect this, in fact last night I almost shifted event to the sprint race because I was afraid I will not finish it," said Lucas, a junior high school student at Woodrose in Alabang. She took the lead only in the final 5K run leg.
More than 250 duathletes saw action, including national team member Sen. Pia Cayetano who promised to throw a party for the Philippine team to celebrate Mendoza's victory.
Source: Malaya