The Dalat Victory Challenge mountain bike tournament wrapped up on March 17, with two Vietnamese winning the longest-distance races for men and women, 70km.

Dinh Van Linh wins the 70km race for men for the third consecutive year 

Vietnamese contestant Dinh Van Linh came first in the 70km race for men with a total time of 3:58.46, and Huot Loyraksmey of Cambodia second with a time of 4:11.28. Vu Thi Kim Loc from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang secured top spot in the 70km race for women.

Vu Thi Kim Loc from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang secured top spot in the 70km race for women - PHOTO: TRUC NHU

Frenchman Pierre Yves Catry won the men’s 42km race with a total time of 2:44.49, followed by Frank Zgoznik and Dekkers Han. Vietnamese athlete Hoang Thi Tham took the gold medal in the same-distance race for women.

Pierre Yves Catry from France grasps the first prize in the men’s 42km race - PHOTO: TIEU KIEM

Dinh Van Linh told the Saigon Times at the finishing line that this was the third time in a row he had won the 70km race for men. Linh said taking water and food along the way was the biggest challenge for the competitors.

Linh, a member of Hoa Binh Sports Club, said that unlike the 70km race in previous years which was divided into shorter races lasting two to three days, this year’s edition featured only one race, which made the contestants exhausted.

After the tournament, Linh would return to his club to brace for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, he added.

Dalat Ultra Trail and Dalat Victory Challenge 2019 concluded after three days of competition, with 4,500 local and international athletes taking part.

The events were jointly held by the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Motorcycle and Bicycle Association and Vietnam MTB Series. Saigon Times Group was the official media sponsor of the events.

SGT