Thai cyclists did not disappoint, capturing 2 gold medals, 1 silver, and 1 bronze at the 2026 Asian Road Cycling Championships held in Saudi Arabia, showcasing their strong performance.
General Decha Hemkrasri, Deputy President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), President of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and President of the Cycling Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, revealed that the Thai national cycling team, sent to compete in the 2026 Asian Road Cycling Championships from 5-11 February in Saudi Arabia, has excelled. Coach Tum Wisut Kasiayaphat, team manager and head coach, reported that Thai cyclists have so far won 2 gold medals, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.
General Decha stated that the first gold medal was won by Narongdej Saengchai in the men's masters 35-39 time trial event over 20 km, finishing in 25 minutes 50 seconds, marking the team's first gold. The second gold went to Lieutenant Colonel Janpeng Nontasin in the women's masters 40-44 time trial over 15.8 km, finishing in 23 minutes 22 seconds. This was Janpeng's second consecutive championship, having won the title at the 2025 Asian Championships held at Saranchit Mongkolsuk Cycling Track (Bueng Si Fai) in Phichit Province.
General Decha added that the silver medal was earned by Coach Tum Wisut himself in the men's masters 55-59 time trial over 20 km, finishing in 31 minutes 39 seconds. The bronze came from Suriya Saengboon in the men's masters 50-54 time trial with a time of 29 minutes 11 seconds. This is a very satisfying performance for the Thai cycling team. Other competitors also performed well, such as Thai-French cyclist Arthit Pulard in the men's public time trial over 31 km, who finished 4th with a time of 37 minutes 42 seconds, just 11 seconds behind the bronze medalist. Unfortunately, Arthit fell into potholes twice, breaking his bike handlebar; otherwise, he likely would have won bronze. The gold and silver medals in that event went to Kazakhstani cyclists, and the bronze to a Taiwanese cyclist.
General Decha further noted that in the men's over-23 category, Thanaphat Sakultra delivered a commendable performance, finishing 5th with a strong time. In the mixed team relay time trial for youth men and women, the Thai team, consisting of Kritpas Homkajorn, Peerawat Wititpanitpan, Patchara Sitthisamphan, Kawisara Amkamnerd, Phumrat Chalermkit, and Siwaporn Phuttharam, placed 4th. The gold went to Kazakhstan, silver to Uzbekistan, and bronze to China. The male youth cyclists performed very well, but the female youth athletes are still new to international competition and need to gain more experience.
“All Thai national athletes did their best and achieved excellent results, ranking above most ASEAN countries in nearly every event. Historically, the Cycling Association of Thailand has never disappointed the Thai people, and this competition is no exception. We have earned 2 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze so far, with more chances to win medals in various road race categories including men’s and women’s public, under-23 men and women, youth men and women, and masters divisions. We ask all Thai people to support and cheer on our cyclists to earn more medals and bring continuous honor to Thailand. Thank you,” General Decha concluded.