Promising cyclist Chan Chun-hing beat the odds to win the Shanghai stage of the National Road Race Champion Series yesterday. In a strong performance for Hong Kong riders, his teammates Tang Wan-yip, Wong Ngai-ching and Wong Kam-po finished fourth, sixth and eighth respectively. Chan completed the gruelling 175-kilometre race in three hours 59 minutes and 10 seconds, outpacing 142 cyclists from 20 provinces. The race also served as qualifiers for the National Road Race Championships to be held in Changchun next month and the National Games in Jiangsu in October. Hong Kong team coach Shen Jinkang fielded seven riders for the race so they could ride as a team. With Tang, Cheung King-wai and Wong Ngai-ching keeping in touch with the leaders, Chan could stay in the main pack until the final stages. He then produced a strong finish to clinch the title. 'The Hong Kong riders worked well as a team to fence off the opposition. Though Chan became the eventual winner, his teammates gave him a lot of help during the race,' said Shen.
