In a stunning display of regional dominance, host Malaysia swept the podiums in numerous categories at the MEC2024 Mersing Enduro Challenge, which concluded in Bukit Selantai, near Johor on Sunday.

The Malaysian riders clinched five of the seven categories, with their counterparts from Singapore winning the remaining titles in the third round of the Mountainbiker Enduro Championship. The next race is scheduled for September 29 at Denpel Gravity Race in Selangor, while the last race in the five-race series, the MEC2024 Langkawi Geopark Enduro Challenge, is scheduled for November 17.

Men Open

Malaysian riders dominated the race, claiming the top seven positions. Norshahrial Haizat bin Ahmad Nazali of AGS Racing Team laid down the marker to take first place with a commanding time of 12 minutes and 50.93 seconds.

His victory was backed up by fellow countryman Mohamed Edha bin Mohamad Ali of Heroes of Enduro with a time of 13 minutes and 22.28 seconds, trailing Norshahrial by 31.35 seconds. Muhammad Furqan Tajudin, also from AGS Racing Team, completed the course in 13 minutes and 24.29 seconds for third place.

This performance underscores Malaysia’s growing prowess in the sport, with riders from multiple teams showcasing their skills and teamwork to dominate the competition. The only non-Malaysian riders in the top ten were Saligumba Roberto Jr from the Philippines, who finished eighth, and Singapore’s Slash Cheong, who took ninth place. Men Open results

Women Open

Malaysian cyclist Siti Natasha Binti Mohd Basri of ILMR showcased an impressive performance, establishing her superiority over the competition in the women’s open. She finished the race with an impressive lead of almost two minutes, crossing the finish line at 15:56.87.

Nur Nasthasia Nadiah Binte Abdul Nazzeer, a resident of Singapore, is associated with Janjiride. The SG team secured the second spot with an impressive time of 17:53.77. Mustika Ayuni Binti Mustofa of Heroes of Enduro from Malaysia achieved an impressive third-place finish with a time of 18:26.76. This outstanding performance only adds to Malaysia’s strong presence in the race. There were also impressive performances from Malaysian rider Eddyana from Eco MTB, who secured fourth place, and Riana Oberoi of Singapore’s Kotasinga Riders, who completed the top five. Women Open results

Junior U20

Singapore’s Muhammad Akid Akalil Bin Mohd Rezal won the junior U20 division. Competing against a strong field, he set the pace with an amazing performance of 14 minutes and 30.74 seconds.

Despite putting up a strong fight, Malaysian Darwisy Abrisham Bin Mohd Roslan came in second. The rider from the Skodayass Racing Team finished the round in 14 minutes and 38.04 seconds, trailing by just 7.30 seconds. Luke Allan Wong of TWC Racing, another Singaporean, completed the podium. Wong finished 14.53 seconds behind the winner, in 14 minutes and 44.27 seconds. Junior U20 results

Men 30

In the men’s 30 class, Saiful Bahri Bin Amat Mohtar of the Righteous Race Clan team won first place, with his rivals falling well short. Saiful, competing under the Malaysian flag, dominated the race by crossing the finish line in a time of 13:25.63.

Nurfurqaan Bin Mohamed Yunos of Kaosinga Riders in Singapore finished 45.19 seconds behind the leader with a time of 14:10.82. Nurfurqaan put in a great effort, but he was not able to catch up and had to contend with second place. Muhammad Farhan Bin Mohammed Khawari, who competed for Malaysia’s Bike Corner squad, finished in 14:16.04, placing him just 50.41 seconds behind Saiful, to complete the podium. Men 30 results

Men 35

In the highly competitive men’s 35 category, Malaysian riders swept the podium with a perfect score. Leading the assault was Mohd Azizi Abdullah of the AGS Racing Team, who finished in an amazing 13:47.71.

Mior Hadi Mior Hamdan from VRT raced right behind Abdullah, finishing just 11.8 seconds slower at 13:59.51. Hamdan put in a lot of effort and continued to pressure Abdullah throughout the race, but in the end, he had to settle for second place. Zubir Muzaid, another rider on the VRT, completed the all-Malaysian podium with a time of 14:08.41. Men 35 results

Men 40

Malaysia’s Wee Chong Yaw of Red Rude Racing won the men’s 40 class in a hotly contested race. He finished the course in an impressive time of 13:01.24 to cement his position as one of the best competitors on the local racing circuit.

Wilson Low of Singapore, representing Raw Epics, came in second place on the podium. Low’s skill and dedication were clear throughout the race as he stopped the clock at 13:24.29, just 23.05 seconds behind the winner. Third place went to Mohamed Farquhar Bin Mohamed Salleh of Ecocana Sports in Malaysia, with a time of 00:13:58.61. Men 40 results

Men 45

Malaysia dominated the competition in the men’s 45 class, with Tan Soon Soon of Red Rude Racing taking first place. Tan finished with an amazing time of 13:16.26.

Following closely behind him was Mohd Fadzli Alwi, a fellow Malaysian from the Righteous Race Clan. Fadzli maintained a strong pace in the race but was unable to close the deficit. He finished slightly over 20 seconds behind the leader at 13:36.83. Tong Wai Loon of 2PM Falcon came home 24.14 seconds behind the leader at 13:40.40 to claim the third spot in the category. Men 45 results

Men 50

The men’s 50 race was a testament to the enduring passion and skill, with each rider pushing the limits and demonstrating that age is no barrier to competitive spirit and performance on the trail.

Mohd Herman Bin Mohd Arsek, a rider from Singapore who rides for the ONE Enduro SG team, was leading the push. He opened up a comfortable lead of one minute and 38.20 seconds and cruised to victory in 13:29.25.

Malaysian rider Fathil Mohd Nazeri of the Usual Suspects team came in second with a time of 15:07.45. Third place went to Britain’s Rik Oberoi of the KOTASINGA Riders, who finished only 11 seconds behind Nazeri in 15:18.42.

Australian rider Glenn Watman, another member of The Usual Suspects, secured fourth place with a time of 15:20.91. Watman’s performance, though falling short of the podium, was noteworthy, finishing just 2.49 seconds behind Oberoi. Men 50 results

e-MTB

It was an all-Malaysian field in the e-MTB division, where Specialized TTDI rider Thenesh emerged victorious with a time of 18 minutes and 26.42 seconds. Ng Liang Jun from Ecocana Sports was in hot pursuit. He trailed by just 0.03 seconds to finish as runner-up with a timing of 18:26.45. Imran Fariz bin Mazlan of Let’s Enduro completed the podium, clocking 19:25.48. e-MTB results

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