Wong Kam-po received a pre- Asian Games boost when he was crowned King of the Mountains at the Commonwealth Bank Classic in Australia.
Wong confirmed his status as one of the region's best uphill racers by winning the 'best climber' title from Germany's Jens Zemke of the Bosch team and Polish rider Raimondas Rumsas of Mroz.
Wong, who used the race as a tune-up for the Bangkok event in December, finished ninth overall against some of the best amateur riders from Europe and Australasia.
'The Classic is Australia's most famous race so it was nice to win something out of it. I didn't expect to win anything so it was a pleasant surprise,' said the 25-year-old, who represented the Sportscover World Team. The ace Hong Kong rider completed 15 stages of the Classic, covering 1,033 kilo metres in 25 hours 37 minutes nine seconds.
His best result was a third place in the toughest stage of the series, a gruelling 104-kilometre road race from Wollongong to Nowra.
After moderate performances in the initial races, Wong finally made his move in stage seven, finishing 13th in the 99-kilometre race from Bateau Bay to Gosford.