Mier rules cycling’s 30-km points race in SEAG; dragon boat grabs silver

BEKASI, West Java — Bucking a nasty spill in the final 50 meters, John Mier banked on a huge early advantage Monday to rule the men’s 30-kilometer points race of the 26th Southeast Asian Games at the Rawamangun Velodrome here.

The 19-year-old Games rookie tallied 57  points built around victories in the sixth to 12th laps of the 90-lap race around the 333.3-meter oval to pip Malaysian Muhammad Othman, who had 55, and Indonesia’s Faroka Ifnu, who finished with 47.

Apryl Eppinger finished second in the women’s 200-meter sprint and took home the bronze medal in the 5-kilometer scratch as cycling action in the track came to a close.

“This was totally unexpected,” Mier, a native of Lahug City in Cebu, said in Filipino. “I was actually content with having won the bronze (in the individual pursuit) but I saw an opening and made a go at it.”

Alfie Catalan, the men’s individual pursuit winner, actually acted as Mier’s rear guard and goaded his teammate to keep on pushing himself.

“That was the pregame plan – to help whoever gets in front,” Catalan said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, the 2,000-meter, men’s 22-crew salvaged a silver medal in traditional boat race Monday morning after losing steam in the final quarter to check in behind champion Myanmar at Lake Cipule here.

The Filipinos were actually running third before summoning their last ounce of strength to nip Indonesia for second place in seven-minutes and 49.9 seconds, just over three ticks behind the seasoned Burmese.

Indonesia clocked 7:51.2.

Myanmar captured nine of the 10 events contested in TBR with the Philippines the only other country to win by ruling  the 1,000-meter, 22-man crew, aside from pocketing two silver and two bronze medals.