Filipino cyclist Alexandra “Lexi” Dormitorio of Coach D Racing-Philippines opened the UCI Thailand MTB XCO Cup with a stunning victory, claiming the gold medal in the 13km Women Junior Cross Country event.
The 16-year-old Philippine national champion delivered a dominant performance, crossing the finish line in 50:51—an impressive eight minutes ahead of her closest rival from Thailand.
“This gold medal win is for you, mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” Dormitorio shared on social media. “When you have a huge number of people all over the world praying or visualizing for you to win, there’s no way it won’t manifest, especially if you surrender to God whatever the outcome will be.”
The rest of the opening day saw Filipino cyclists continue the momentum with more podium finishes.
Adrian Nacario and John Andre Aguja, both representing Go for Gold, secured silver and bronze in the Men’s Under-23 Cross Country event. Indonesian rider Feri Yudoyuno narrowly edged them out in the 26km race, clocking 1:05:15.1, with Nacario and Aguja finishing at 1:05:15.18 and 1:05:30, respectively.
In the Men’s Junior category, Thirdy Mana-ay of Go for Gold added a silver medal, completing the 16km race just 50 seconds behind gold medalist Pongaryukun of Thailand.
The opening day concluded with Team Philippines earning an impressive tally of one gold, two silvers, and a bronze.
Shagne Yaoyao of the Philippine national team, Nicole Quinones of Asian TCS Club, and Carl Dela Cruz of Go for Gold are set to compete on Friday in the Women and Men Elite events, aiming to build on their country’s strong start.