Riyadh enjoys more Jungle Cross success, Koreneff triumphs in CX race
August 27, 2018
Blue skies and perfect trail conditions greeted a bumper crop of competitors for the third leg in the 2018 Cycosports Jungle Cross Series at Turf City yesterday and the riders responded by delivered a string of exciting races and some superlative individual performances. Two of the standout displays came from the man who can’t stop winning, Riyadh Hakim (Team Awano Treknology3), in the Men’s MTB Cross Country Open and Michael Koreneff (Allied World Treknology3) in the Men’s Cyclocross Open.
Jungle Cross first appeared on the local off-road calendar in November 2015, and since that debut a team of volunteers from Cycosports, Centaurs and the Singapore Cycling Federation have embarked on a program of constant course improvements. This evolution has now reached the point where three different layouts are in operation and all three have matured into first-rate racing circuits. And a month of mostly dry weather followed by a few days of rain last week saw optimal conditions for the 100 or so riders who signed up to race on those courses yesterday.
Blue skies and perfect trail conditions greeted a bumper crop of competitors for the third leg in the 2018 Cycosports Jungle Cross Series at Turf City yesterday and the riders responded by delivered a string of exciting races and some superlative individual performances. Two of the standout displays came from the man who can’t stop winning, Riyadh Hakim (Team Awano Treknology3), in the Men’s MTB Cross Country Open and Michael Koreneff (Allied World Treknology3) in the Men’s Cyclocross Open.
Jungle Cross first appeared on the local off-road calendar in November 2015, and since that debut a team of volunteers from Cycosports, Centaurs and the Singapore Cycling Federation have embarked on a program of constant course improvements. This evolution has now reached the point where three different layouts are in operation and all three have matured into first-rate racing circuits. And a month of mostly dry weather followed by a few days of rain last week saw optimal conditions for the 100 or so riders who signed up to race on those courses yesterday.
The Cyclocross course in particular has seen the biggest transformation, with the CX riders now having a loop catering more to their discipline rather than just having to negotiate round a technical mountain bike course without the benefit of suspension systems and big, wide tyres.
The roughly 1.4km circuit now spends less time in the jungle and more on a taped-off layout on the grass playing fields that includes a series of barriers, a set of tyres and the extremely popular spiral.
And the CX riders responded by turning up in their biggest ever numbers yesterday. The 14 registrants might not sound like a big deal, but the CX race at Jungle Cross has rarely attracted a field in double figures, and when considering that at least half a dozen of the cyclocross regulars were absent from yesterday’s race, the growth is quite notable.
The roughly 1.4km circuit now spends less time in the jungle and more on a taped-off layout on the grass playing fields that includes a series of barriers, a set of tyres and the extremely popular spiral.
And the CX riders responded by turning up in their biggest ever numbers yesterday. The 14 registrants might not sound like a big deal, but the CX race at Jungle Cross has rarely attracted a field in double figures, and when considering that at least half a dozen of the cyclocross regulars were absent from yesterday’s race, the growth is quite notable.
One man in particular seemed to enjoy the new layout the best, the Australian Koreneff. After a super-fast start which saw the field strung out as the riders tore round the grass on the far side of the playing field, Koreneff overtook the early leader Will Price (Cycleology) just before the pack dipped into the jungle on the first of their six laps. Positioning into the single track was crucial and having got there first, Koreneff quickly opened up a gap, which just got bigger and bigger as he showed off a perfect combination of technical skills and raw power.
Indeed, such was Koreneff’s superiority that when he took the chequered flag in a time of 36 minutes and 50 seconds, he had lapped all but three of his fellow competitors. He won by almost 5 minutes, but the three-way battle for the other podium places was much closer. Andrew Fang (Team Absolut) emerged victorious in that tussle to take the runner’s-up spot some 20 seconds ahead of Woody Ng, with Price the man to miss out on podium glory.
Anna Symms (MatadorRacing) took the women’s cyclocross crown from Joanne Rech.
Post-race, Koreneff was happy with his performance and the latest iteration of the CX course.
Indeed, such was Koreneff’s superiority that when he took the chequered flag in a time of 36 minutes and 50 seconds, he had lapped all but three of his fellow competitors. He won by almost 5 minutes, but the three-way battle for the other podium places was much closer. Andrew Fang (Team Absolut) emerged victorious in that tussle to take the runner’s-up spot some 20 seconds ahead of Woody Ng, with Price the man to miss out on podium glory.
Anna Symms (MatadorRacing) took the women’s cyclocross crown from Joanne Rech.
Post-race, Koreneff was happy with his performance and the latest iteration of the CX course.
“It's always nice to take the top step honours and winning another round of the Jungle Cross felt great. I have struggled previously with unforced mechanical problems. This round I tried to stay consistent and after I got a gap on the first lap, consistent laps payed off at the finish line,” Koreneff said.
“The new course is great. The recent changes have cemented the move from a MTB course and towards a competitive CX course. The addition of more grass sections and the inclusion of the incredibly steep climb followed by the fast descent means there is a good mix of hard riding and technical riding. It also opens the course up to those who might have been cautious of the more technical nature of the previous course.”
As always at Jungle Cross, the mountain bikers made up the vast majority of the combined field, and they had cross country contests for Open, Juniors, Masters and Super Masters, while the All Mountain brigade had a well-attended Open race.
“The new course is great. The recent changes have cemented the move from a MTB course and towards a competitive CX course. The addition of more grass sections and the inclusion of the incredibly steep climb followed by the fast descent means there is a good mix of hard riding and technical riding. It also opens the course up to those who might have been cautious of the more technical nature of the previous course.”
As always at Jungle Cross, the mountain bikers made up the vast majority of the combined field, and they had cross country contests for Open, Juniors, Masters and Super Masters, while the All Mountain brigade had a well-attended Open race.
The Sports, Junior B (13-16 years) and Women’s Super Masters (45+) riders were on course at the same time as the CX racers, but with the two disciplines starting a minute apart and their circuits splitting after some 700 metres, there was minimal interaction/interference between the two sets of riders.
The Sports course is 2km in length and after using the same first 700metres as the CX course, runs along the far edge of the wooded ravine that gives Jungle Cross its name, before dipping down into the pit for a little bit of technical fun. It’s nowhere near as difficult as the “Pro” course which is used for the more experienced racers, but provides challenge enough for the youngsters, newcomers and more cautious weekend warriors.
The Men’s Sports title went to Abdul Halim Adbul Malik (Harding MTB Racing Team), who claimed a comfortable wire-to-wire victory in a time of 40:51 for his four laps of the course. Some 2 minutes later, Sheikh Ahmad Basharahill Salim (Twenty9er Racing Team) came from behind to take the runner’s-up spot thanks to a storming last lap that saw him overtake the eventual third-placed man Lucas Stewart.
The Sports course is 2km in length and after using the same first 700metres as the CX course, runs along the far edge of the wooded ravine that gives Jungle Cross its name, before dipping down into the pit for a little bit of technical fun. It’s nowhere near as difficult as the “Pro” course which is used for the more experienced racers, but provides challenge enough for the youngsters, newcomers and more cautious weekend warriors.
The Men’s Sports title went to Abdul Halim Adbul Malik (Harding MTB Racing Team), who claimed a comfortable wire-to-wire victory in a time of 40:51 for his four laps of the course. Some 2 minutes later, Sheikh Ahmad Basharahill Salim (Twenty9er Racing Team) came from behind to take the runner’s-up spot thanks to a storming last lap that saw him overtake the eventual third-placed man Lucas Stewart.
Shirley Teo (MatadorRacing) was also a comfortable champ in the Women’s Sports race, from Lizzie Hodges (Women’s Cycling Project) and Georgina Hill. Louise Donaldson (Singapore Bike Hash) took the Women’s Super Master’s race unopposed, but in a not-too-shabby time of 46:32 for her four laps.
The teenagers of the Junior B contest enjoyed an exciting race, with Ng Han Wen (Satria Tebrau Cycling Club) emerging as the champ after 44 minutes and 42 seconds of racing. He beat teammate Tan Xue Yi by some 40 seconds, but the battle for the runner's-up spot was much closer, with Tan only beating the third rider Abdul Haziq Johari by 2 seconds.
With the first of three rounds of racing done, next up at a little after 9am were the Men’s Super Masters (45+), Junior A (17-18), Women’s Open and All Mountain races, which were set off onto the “pro” course at 1-minute intervals.
The teenagers of the Junior B contest enjoyed an exciting race, with Ng Han Wen (Satria Tebrau Cycling Club) emerging as the champ after 44 minutes and 42 seconds of racing. He beat teammate Tan Xue Yi by some 40 seconds, but the battle for the runner's-up spot was much closer, with Tan only beating the third rider Abdul Haziq Johari by 2 seconds.
With the first of three rounds of racing done, next up at a little after 9am were the Men’s Super Masters (45+), Junior A (17-18), Women’s Open and All Mountain races, which were set off onto the “pro” course at 1-minute intervals.
The Super Masters race featured an outstanding battle between Noel Reuter (Singapore Bike Hash) and Alvin Lim (Team Entro Cycles). Reuter got the best of the early skirmishes and had opened up a 10-second lead after lap #1 thanks to some great speed over the technical sections. Lim was the only rider to stay anywhere near Reuter, but he still trailed as they emerged onto the grass at the end of the second lap of four. Next time round, though, the pair were together and after taking the bell they raced the length of the grassed playing fields at full gas as each strived to hit the single track first.
It was Lim who managed that feat and then in his pursuit of new leader, Reuter perhaps stretched himself too much and came a cropper in the jungle. It wasn’t too serious a spill but it was enough to see Lim pull away and enjoy what was a comfortable win in the end with a time of 59:39. Reuter rolled in 90 seconds later with some blood oozing from a calf wound as a reward for a great effort.
Todd Sinclair (Berwick Cycles) rounded out the podium some 4 minutes behind Lim, having overtaken Dan Smith during lap #3.
It was Lim who managed that feat and then in his pursuit of new leader, Reuter perhaps stretched himself too much and came a cropper in the jungle. It wasn’t too serious a spill but it was enough to see Lim pull away and enjoy what was a comfortable win in the end with a time of 59:39. Reuter rolled in 90 seconds later with some blood oozing from a calf wound as a reward for a great effort.
Todd Sinclair (Berwick Cycles) rounded out the podium some 4 minutes behind Lim, having overtaken Dan Smith during lap #3.
The Junior A race had a big favourite in the shape of Arfan Faisal, and the Team Awano Treknology3 rider and current Singapore national champion showed exactly why he deserved such a tag with a masterly wire-to-wire performance. He completed his four laps of the circuit in a little over an hour, which gave him a whopping 13-minute advantage over the runner-up Abu Hudzaifah Masnawi (Harding MTB Racing Team). Third place went to Ahmad Safiy Rahudin (Team Awano Treknology3).
Tsalina Phang (Treknology3) won the Women’s Open race in a time of 1:10:55.
The All Mountain Open race attracted the biggest field of the day, with 19 riders lining up for their three laps of the “pro” circuit. That’s another heartening stat for Jungle Cross, as the early days of the series failed to draw more than a few of the long-travel specialists.
And yesterday’s race turned into a thriller after what looked like a runaway win for Rohaizat Mohd Hashim (Harding MTB Racing Team) turned into a chase down. Hashim enjoyed a 60-second lead at the bell over Ian Krempl (#UnspringSG), but Krempl turned on his afterburners for the third lap and rapidly ate into the deficit. But he ultimately ran out of ground and Hashim held on to win by 8 seconds in a time of 49:35. Walton Seah (Attitude Bikes) rounded out the podium a minute back from the winner.
Tsalina Phang (Treknology3) won the Women’s Open race in a time of 1:10:55.
The All Mountain Open race attracted the biggest field of the day, with 19 riders lining up for their three laps of the “pro” circuit. That’s another heartening stat for Jungle Cross, as the early days of the series failed to draw more than a few of the long-travel specialists.
And yesterday’s race turned into a thriller after what looked like a runaway win for Rohaizat Mohd Hashim (Harding MTB Racing Team) turned into a chase down. Hashim enjoyed a 60-second lead at the bell over Ian Krempl (#UnspringSG), but Krempl turned on his afterburners for the third lap and rapidly ate into the deficit. But he ultimately ran out of ground and Hashim held on to win by 8 seconds in a time of 49:35. Walton Seah (Attitude Bikes) rounded out the podium a minute back from the winner.
Last up on the race program in the by-now-searing heat at 10:35am were the Men’s Open and Men’s Masters (35-44 years) contests. While the elite race featured some classy riders such as the Team Awano Treknology3 pair Junaidi Hashim and Riyadh Hakim, and Anthony Brown (Cannasia Absolute Black Racing), the fact that only five men entered the Men’s Open perhaps means that there isn’t enough depth as the top end of an otherwise thriving Singapore cross country community.
Still, small field or large, the leading men always put on a great show and yesterday was no exception. An early puncture on the opening lap for Junaidi robbed the race of a potential showdown between the master and his apprentice Riyadh, but the youngster still had the motivation of trying to beat the accomplished Brown and his Awano teammate Muhammad Aidil Taufid Afendi.
Riyadh, the 2018 triple Under 23 national champion (downhill, cross country and road), shot out of the gates and by half way into lap #1 had already built a big lead over Brown as he seemed to glide effortlessly over the challenging terrain. He was rewarded for his early efforts by an impressive split of 12:45 for lap #1 and a gap of some 35 seconds to Brown. While Riyadh couldn’t quite maintain that blistering early pace, he put in impressively consistent splits of 13:22, 13:28, 13:28 and 13:37 for the final four laps to take a comfortable win and a finishing time of 1:06:41.
Still, small field or large, the leading men always put on a great show and yesterday was no exception. An early puncture on the opening lap for Junaidi robbed the race of a potential showdown between the master and his apprentice Riyadh, but the youngster still had the motivation of trying to beat the accomplished Brown and his Awano teammate Muhammad Aidil Taufid Afendi.
Riyadh, the 2018 triple Under 23 national champion (downhill, cross country and road), shot out of the gates and by half way into lap #1 had already built a big lead over Brown as he seemed to glide effortlessly over the challenging terrain. He was rewarded for his early efforts by an impressive split of 12:45 for lap #1 and a gap of some 35 seconds to Brown. While Riyadh couldn’t quite maintain that blistering early pace, he put in impressively consistent splits of 13:22, 13:28, 13:28 and 13:37 for the final four laps to take a comfortable win and a finishing time of 1:06:41.
Behind, Brown was also putting up a set of impressive splits, but at around 20 seconds a lap slower than Riyadh, he was fighting a losing battle. Still, at just under 2 minutes back, he split the two Awano riders that finished, with Afendi completing his five laps some 8 minutes behind Riyadh to take third place.
Last but not least yesterday were the Men’s Masters. They faced four laps of the “pro” course, and like in the Open race, one man stood out from the crowd. On this occasion it was Mohd Herman Mohd Arsek (Harding MTB Racing Team) who was setting the trails on fire, his opening lap giving him a 45-second lead and a springboard for what turned into a comfortable victory. The Harding man hardly let up the speed and increased his lead lap by lap and crossed the finish line nearly 3 minutes clear with a winning time of 1:00:44.
Last but not least yesterday were the Men’s Masters. They faced four laps of the “pro” course, and like in the Open race, one man stood out from the crowd. On this occasion it was Mohd Herman Mohd Arsek (Harding MTB Racing Team) who was setting the trails on fire, his opening lap giving him a 45-second lead and a springboard for what turned into a comfortable victory. The Harding man hardly let up the speed and increased his lead lap by lap and crossed the finish line nearly 3 minutes clear with a winning time of 1:00:44.
The battle behind for the runner’s-up spot was an intriguing one between perennial Jungle Cross podium placer Mohamad Khaniz Omar (Twenty9er Racing Team) and Wesley Hughes (Integrated Riding Racing Team), who is much better known as a roadie. Khaniz took the early skirmishes and enjoyed a 35-second lead going into lap #3, but as the Twenty9er man faded somewhat, Hughes managed to maintain the pace he had started at and he ended up being the second Master to her the bell. A scorching last lap saw him consolidate the runner's-up spot, while Khaniz was well clear in third place to earn himself yet another trip to the podium.
Jungle Cross III was a great success, and with the fourth round in the 2018 series just four weeks away, lets hope the momentum keeps rolling and an even bigger number of riders sign up to race. For full results of yesterday’s races click on this Cycosports link. And to register for Jungle Cross IV, visit the appropriate Cycosports page here.
Jungle Cross III was a great success, and with the fourth round in the 2018 series just four weeks away, lets hope the momentum keeps rolling and an even bigger number of riders sign up to race. For full results of yesterday’s races click on this Cycosports link. And to register for Jungle Cross IV, visit the appropriate Cycosports page here.