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By May Chen

LOCAL cyclists bagged the men's and women's Open titles in Asia's largest amateur race yesterday, boosting their hopes of qualifying for December's South-east Asia Games in Laos.

OCBC Singapore Cycling Team riders Junaidi Hashim and Ho Jun Rong finished first and second among the men, while national triathlete Dinah Chan came out tops in the women's category at the Tour of Friendship, a multi-stage competition which began on Saturday.

Held in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi, the five-day event had a 230-strong field featuring ex-professionals as well as national athletes from Malaysia and the hosts, one of South-east Asia's cycling kingpins.

Junaidi and Chan, 22, each received a trophy from Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Said 27-year-old Junaidi, who competed in the mountain bike category at the 2001, 2003 and 2005 editions of the SEA Games: 'The team have been training very hard, especially in the last month.

'I don't know for sure if I will be going to this year's SEA Games yet, but this result is a great confidence booster.'

Athlete nominations for the SEA Games by various national sports associations are expected to be made around July.

Junaidi added that the competition was good experience, since the team are mostly made up of riders under the age of 21.

Coach Daniel Plews said: 'We were hoping for good things, and maybe even a win. But to finish first and second and do so well on so many of the stages is more than we could have hoped for.'

The eight men in the OCBC team - currently Singapore's best cycling squad - also won the overall general classification award, an honour typically given to the team with the best combined overall timing.

Plews also credited the team dynamics.

He said: 'I can tell them what to do but without them actually consistently going out to do it, nothing would've happened.

'There's no ego, no one is above another and no one rides selfishly. It makes it easier for everyone to work together when you have strong team spirit.'