The National Cycling Championships competition in Siem Reap. PHOTO SUPPLIED
The Cambodian Cycling Federation (CCF) has said that the 2022 National Cycling Championships being held in Siem Reap over December 26-27 will act as a key performance indicator ahead of next year’s 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
CCF secretary-general Nou Chamroeun said the championships will measure how far the performance of the athletes and the organisational abilities of the technical committee have come on the journey to the 2023 SEA Games, which the Kingdom is hosting for the first time.
Under the guidance of Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce and president of the CCF, the technical officials have been working hard to hold the championships at the highest competition standards ahead of the regional sporting extravaganza, he added.
“The competitions organised over the past few years have been intended to gradually strengthen development towards hosting the 2023 SEA Games.
“For this national event, we received a grant of $42,750 from Herbalife to cover the organisation of the championships, with the prize money for winners having increased on previous years,” Chamroeun said.
With the venues serving as the Cambodian team’s training camp and set to host cycling at the upcoming SEA Games, Chamroeun said it was crucial the 2022 national championships were used as a benchmark and for gaining experience ahead of the biennial multi-sports event.
“For this national competition, we have cooperated with the relevant local and provincial authorities.
“We must all work well together to measure the level of the athletes as well as the technical committee for the 2023 SEA Games, which Cambodia will host,” Chamroeun said.
The 2022 National Cycling Championships will see 285 athletes take part, with 80 road cyclists and 205 mountain bikers.
The road cycling will comprise the men and women’s junior road events for under-18s, the elite road biking, and the master road biking for the over 40s, with three other categories over the same distance of 160km.
There are four disciplines in the mountain biking being competed over the same distance of 24km – the junior MTB race for under-18s, elite MTB, the women’s MTB, and the master MTB for the over 40s.
Chamroeun said teams of athletes departed Phnom Penh for Siem Reap on December 26, with the first day set aside for organisational matters, and for checking bicycles and equipment, and inspecting the routes.
The road bike races will start on the morning of December 27 with the finish line in front of Angkor Wat, while at 12pm the four mountain bike competitions will start and finish at the foot of Phnom Hob in Siem Reap’s Phnom Kulen National Park.
