Hoàng Hải Nam of Việt Nam take a gold in the men's individual time trial master +60 category, at the 2025 Asian Road Cycling Championships on February 8 in Thailand. Photo of VCF

HÀ NỘI — An incident of bicycle burning could not prevent the Vietnamese team from winning gold at the 2025 Asian Road Cycling Championships on February 8 in Thailand.

Veteran Hoàng Hải Nam topped the podium in the men's individual time trial master +60 category, a result that surprised the whole continent. The amateur rider, who took part in the Asian event for the first time, won with a borrowed bike from the organisers after all Việt Nam's bikes and gear were destroyed in a truck fire on February 5.

The incident was fixed when the Thailand Cycling Association provided new vehicles for the team. However, the Vietnamese coaching board believed that it was difficult for athletes to adapt immediately to the unfamiliar bikes and athletes' performance would be strongly affected.

Their worry was confirmed as both men's and women's teams were among the bottom teams in the time trial events' ranking on the first day.

However, the 61-year-old Nam overcame all challenges to secure his and Việt Nam first title under big applause of teammates, rivals, organisers and supporters.

He finished in a time of 15min 30.867sec over a distance of 10.7km.

"Nam has just earned a first gold medal for Việt Nam in this Asian arena despite competing with a loaned bike," said Nguyễn Ngọc Vũ, general secretary of the Việt Nam Cycling and Motor Sports Federation (VCF).

He added that it was more impressive as this was the first time Nam represented Việt Nam in this tournament where he also had to borrow shoes from teammates to race.

The tournament will continue until February 16 and Vietnamese athletes will have to race with borrowed bikes until February 10 when the VCF sends other bikes from Việt Nam to Thailand for the road race categories.

Việt Nam has 16 representatives competing across 10 categories at the continental championships. Among them is Olympian Nguyễn Thị Thật, who won gold in 2023 and silver in 2024, expected to win a gold medal in the elite women's road race. VNS