TERENGGANU Polygon Cycling Team (TSG) capped their campaign at the Tour of Thailand with another podium finish and the team general classification (GC) title yesterday.
TSG's Metkel Eyob settled for third in the sixth and final stage, which started from Nakhon Phanom and concluded with a hilltop finish in Mukdahan (165.2km).
Team Ukyo's Nathan Earle took the win in three hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds, with Valentin Midey (Roojai Cycling Team) coming in second (+2s), followed by Eyob (same time).
Team Sapura Cycling's Shaiful Adlan Shukri and Zawawi Azman finished 10th (+10s) and 12th (+20s), while Malaysia's Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi and TSG's Nur Aiman Zariff were 17th (+28s) and 18th (+32s), respectively.
TSG's Shahrul Mat Amin crossed the line 21st (+37s), which was not enough to see him keep the individual Asean classification jersey.
Eyob's result was, however, sufficient to help TSG secure the overall team general classification title. TSG also won the team Asean classification category.
"The plan was to keep the Asean rider jersey and GC position for Shahrul as well as for me to win the stage," said Eyob.
"It was quite a hot day. We did our best, and I got third. Sometimes, this is how it is in bike racing.
"But I still think we had a great tour. We won two stages through Harrif Saleh (stage three and four) and the best team (team GC) and Asean team classifications.
TSG ended the tour atop the team GC standings with a cumulative time of 64:25:53s. HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski and St George Continental Cycling Team came in second (+17s) and third (+1:17s).
TSG clocked 64:26:30s to win the team Asean classification, with Sapura coming second (+2:13s). Go For Gold Philippines were third (+2:33s).
Marcelo Felipe (7 Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Road Bikes Philippines) took the individual Asean classification title with a time of 21:28:26s after pipping Sapura's Shaiful (same time).
Shaiful's teammate Zawawi came in third (+10s), while Shahrul settled for fourth (+13s) in the class.
Top honours overall in the UCI2.1 tour went to Alan Banaszek (HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski) as he took home the yellow jersey on 21:27:52s.
Team Ukyo's Yuma Koishi (+18s) and Raymond Kreder (+27s) finished second and third in the individual general classification. Eyob finished just off the podium in fourth (+28s).