“Thanakarn” braved the rain to secure 17th place and rose to second in ASEAN; “Seth Muek” passed on the Olympic points mission to Langkawi.
Thanakarn Chaiyasombat cycled through rain and a UAE rider's crash to finish 17th in the men's road race at the 20th Asian Games, ranking second in ASEAN. Meanwhile, “Seth Muek” plans to send Peeraphol and Thanakarn to join the new generation rising stars nurtured by the Cycling Association as part of its strategic athlete development plan, to compete in the Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 in Malaysia to collect points for the 2028 Olympic qualification. Coach Tum noted the tough race conditions with heavy rain and narrow routes, but the Thai cyclists fought hard.
“Seth Muek,” General Decha Hemkrasri, Vice 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 cycling events at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 23 September featured a single gold medal contest in the men's individual road race at Shinshiro Cycling Road Course. Thai athletes included “Matum” Air Force Captain Peeraphol Chaochiangkwang, “Wut” Sergeant Sarawut Siriranchai, and “Frame” Sergeant Thanakarn Chaiyasombat.
General Decha said he received reports from Coach Tum Wisut Kasiyaphat, the team manager, that the race featured 40 athletes from 17 countries. The circuit included flat and mountainous sections, similar to the women's race, with six laps covering a total of 160 km. It rained throughout, making the roads slippery and causing an accident when a UAE rider slipped before a curve just as Thanakarn was following behind. Fortunately, he avoided the fall, but the lead group had already escaped on a downhill section and could not be caught.
General Decha added that the best-performing Thai cyclist was Thanakarn, finishing 17th with a time of 4:27:38, followed by Peeraphol and Sarawut tied at 22nd and 23rd with 4:32:48 each. The gold medal went to pro-tour cyclist Alexey Lutsenko from Kazakhstan, winning his second gold after earlier claiming the time trial with 4:13:11. Silver went to Japan’s Yuhi Todome at 4:15:09 and bronze to Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Fedorov at 4:15:51. The top ASEAN cyclist was Indonesia’s Muhammad Selhan Nurramat, placing 11th with 4:21:04, followed by Thanakarn as second in ASEAN.
“This road cycling team will return to Thailand immediately. Some athletes, including Peeraphol and Thanakarn, will join a new generation of rising stars developed by the Cycling Association under its strategic plan to cultivate athletic excellence. They will continue to compete in the international Le Tour de Langkawi 2026, a pro-series race in Malaysia from 27 September to 4 October, to collect qualifying points for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA,” General Decha said.
“Seth Muek” further noted that another road cycling team consisting of Arthit Pollard, Judah Thompson, and Captain Janpeng Nontasinsong will compete at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada, from 25-27 September. The Cycling Association of Thailand is continuously active year-round. The next cycling event at the 20th Asian Games is mountain biking on 24-25 September. He asked Thai people to support the athletes, who are determined to perform their best.
Coach Tum said today's race was very challenging. Besides strong competitors from each country, the riders faced poor weather with heavy rain nearly throughout and narrow routes. Initially, he planned for the Thai riders to control the race before fighting in the final lap. However, heavy rain mid-race caused a UAE rider to slip and block those behind, breaking the race dynamics. The lead group of about ten, including an Indonesian cyclist, escaped on a downhill section. By the time the chasing group regrouped, they could not catch up. Ultimately, Thanakarn finished 17th and second in ASEAN.
Coach Tum added that in cycling, anything can happen, but their efforts continue. The next mission is the international road race Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 in Malaysia to collect points for the 2028 Olympics. The Thai road cycling team will return to Thailand on 24 September, then depart for Langkawi on 25 September. The Langkawi team includes Air Force Captain Peeraphol Chaochiangkwang, Sergeant Thanakarn Chaiyasombat, Police Lieutenant Thanachat Yattan, Corporal Nopchai Kharan, Corporal Tulthorn Sosalam, and Apisit Suphan. Led by General Decha Hemkrasri, the Cycling Association continues developing athletes who all give their full effort, but they must accept the race outcomes.
“Frame” Thanakarn said, “Today I rode well but was unlucky because a UAE rider crashed and blocked the path, letting the lead group break away. At that moment, the Kazakhstan team was accelerating the pace. The narrow route and downhill section meant that if the lead group gained even a slight gap, the race was effectively over. I almost fell following the UAE rider, narrowly missing contact. After regaining balance, I couldn't catch the lead group, so I tried my best to finish strongly with the other two riders, ending up in 17th place.”
The next cycling events at the 20th Asian Games are mountain biking on 24-25 September at Ota Ryugushi Park in Nagoya. On 24 September, one gold medal is contested in women's cross-country, with Thai athletes Pinpak Chiansuan and Pornpak Propthung. On 25 September, one gold medal is contested in men's cross-country, with Thai athletes Sergeant Punsiri Sirimongkol and Mr. Pongpira Pongayukul. Competitions start at 11:00 local time, corresponding to 09:00 Thai time on both days.