| Aziz Idris |
TWO local mountain bikers (MTB), Amir Jamni and Liyana Zakaria secured a podium finish at the Asian Enduro Series in Nagarkot Hills, Nepal last weekend.
Amir Jamni, 42, finished the downhill trail in 32:06 minutes to finish 3rd in the Master B (40-49 Years).
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Liyana, cycled across the Himalayan wilderness finishing fifth in the Femenino (Women) Category with a time of 47:20 minutes.
Both local riders were joined by six other Bruneian MTB athletes as well as 100 participants from across the world. This is the first batch of Bruneian athletes to join the Asian Enduro Series in Nepal.
In a brief interview with the Bulletin, Liyana described the terrain of Kathmandu as one of the most difficult trails she raced in as it tested her skills and stamina, riding cross-country.
Liyana boasts experience in MTB at domestic level managing numerous major scores and recently made her mark when Brunei first hosted the Asian Enduro Series last September where she finished second.
The Asian Enduro Series 2018 sees professional MTBs race over multiple down-hill courses against the clock. This year series comprised four separate events – round one was in Nepal from April 4-9 followed by round two in Malaysia on July 11-16.
The first race in Nepal took place in Nagarkot Hills which is about 35km away from the airport in Kathmandu. With the highest point at 2,100m above sea level, riders get to flow down the amazing single tracks through the forest. The final race was divided into eight stages in two race-days.
Brunei will host round three September 29-30 while the final four will take place in Thailand in November. Hundreds of spectators were present at the event and more viewers online to witness the spectacle.
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