VietNamNet Bridge – The 26th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games organising board has decided to add six new medal categories to the cycling event, to include a women's cross-country discipline, a Vietnamese strong point.

 On hearing the news, the National Sports Administration put forward three athletes for the national mountain team, including SEA Games gold medallist Nguyen Thi Thanh Dam from An Giang, Hanoian Dinh Thi Nhu Quynh who ranked seventh in the 2011 Asian Cycling Championship and young talent Quang Thi Soan from Lao Cai.

 At present, the athletes are training in Tam Dao alongside the national team in preparation for the upcoming Games, under guidance from Coach Nguyen Dang Son and a Chinese expert.
Vietnamese cyclists have annually managed to triumph in the cross-country event at the SEA Games.

From the 21st to the 24th SEA Games, retired cyclist Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen managed to win gold each year.

At the 25th Games, held in Laos two years ago, Dam again won gold with a time of 1:35:15 at an average speed of 17.89kmph, beating the Thai runner-up by nearly three seconds (1:38:57).

"This year, the cross-country biking event was added to the Games rather late, affording Viet Nam only around three months of training. However, despite an additional lack of information on the road race, we will do our best to gain gold," said the head of cycling section of the National Sports Administration, Nguyen Duc Cuong.

According to Cuong, Thailand is set to remain Viet Nam's most ardent rivals in the newly added category.

 Vietnamese cyclists will compete in men's and women's downhill, cross-country and road race disciplines as part of 24 different cycling events.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News