| Fadhil Yunus |
UPCT emboldened their status as one of the top cycling teams in the country following a dominant performance in the Brunei Classic 2018, winning most categories with the overall team classification the pinnacle of their success.
UPCT, which featured Ronnel Hualda, Jaysen Asmali, Amiruddin Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Halid Sata and Mohammad Radzi Tamat, took the team honours after clocking a time of 20:36.50.
G530ST, comprising Zulkifli, Shahnon Basman, Andrew Mikha, Shahrom Ayub and Muhammad Rafiuddin Zikara came second after registering 20:48:40, while Muhammad Azwar Haji Muhammad Hairolrani, Muhammad I’maadi Abdul Aziz, Ahmad Jawaahir Haji Johor, Ahmad Raifa’ie Haji Johor and Muhammad Aziz Abdul Aziz of BCP settled for third place with a time of 20:50:10.
UPCT asserted their dominance after clinching top place finishes in four categories namely the Men’s Elite, Men’s Master, King of Mountain as well as the Bruneian riders’ classification.
Ronnel Hualda won first place in the Men’s Elite and King of Mountain with a time of 04:02:29 while Mark Kenneth Walker won the Men’s Master with a similar time of 04:02:29 and Jaysen Asmali awarded as the fastest rider in the country with 04:06:42.
Ronnel improved his fourth-placed showing from his previous competition in the Brunei Classic to top place in the Men’s Elite.
Jay Lampong of SYK came in second place after clocking 04:02:29 in front of national rider Amiruddin Mohammad Amir in third place with 04:06:42.
The men’s elite winner expressed his gratitude to his team UPCT following his major score in Brunei this year.
UPCT, who first tasted team success in another prestigious competition in Brunei in the 7th Lof Cycling Challenge, executed their strategy to perfection after a strong finish.
“The team’s strategy worked. We let one of our riders (Mark) to go to the front and we followed and that was the final move that we made with 30km to go,” Ronnel said in an interview with the Bulletin.
“And then me and Jay (Lampong) were attacking and that was the move we made,” he added.
The Philippines cyclist, who used to compete on a monthly basis, arrived at the Sultanate nine days before the race to familiarise with the route and he admitted that last year’s course was more difficult.
Asked on how he got to join UPCT, he shared that he has known Bruneian cyclist Reduan bin Yusop since 2005 and has always been invited to join the race every year since then.
With the 2018 edition his second participation in the Brunei Classic, Ronnel is no stranger to Brunei having raced in the Tour de Brunei in 2011 and 2012.
Asked on his thoughts about his team’s dominant performance, “We’re here nine days ago and we trained hard. We prepared well for this race.”
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin presented the prizes at the Youth Centre in the capital.
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