Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Soh Jun Wei and Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports

Low Ji Wen (red) from Singapore crossing the finish line during the Men's Mass Start Road Race. (Photo 6 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports) Low Ji Wen (red) from Singapore crossing the finish line during the men’s mass start road race. (Photo 1 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Marina Bay South, Sunday, June 14, 2015 — Despite unfavourable weather conditions, the men’s mass start road race of the 28th Southeast Asian Games cycling competition saw a 27-strong peloton contest for the top spot.

Singaporeans Low Ji Wen, Vincent Ang, Goh Choon Huat and Darren Low finished in seventh, eighth, 19th and 23rd places respectively, while fellow compatriots Noel Teh and Benedict Joseph Lee crashed out early in the race.

The tightly-contested race saw the Singaporeans lead the main peloton momentarily in the second lap, until the Malaysians, Vietnamese and Thais caught up.

The peloton stayed close together, and while Rustom Lim of the Philippines attempted to break away in the ninth and tenth lap, he was eventually reeled in by the Malaysians and Vietnamese as he blew his 30-second lead.

In the final 500 metres, the peloton took to a sprint, and it was Malaysia’s Mohd Harrif Saleh who edged out the pack in a climactic photo finish, clocking 3 hours and 19.33 minutes to clinch the gold medal.

Vietnam’s Le Van Duan settled for the silver, while Malaysian Anuar Manan rounded out the podium.

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