Butch, Mieko top Ayuda Mountain Bike Race

Seasoned triathletes Butch Sublemente and Mieko Carey used their experience from past stagings of the XTERRA Saipan Championship to top last Saturday’s Inaugural Ayuda Charity Mountain Bike Race.

Sublemente was the first to cycle down from the 1,554-foot Mt. Tapochao and cruised to the finish line at the American Memorial Park in a sterling time of 57:02.

The 35-year-old Thai Massage employee said his stints in previous local XTERRA races proved handy in negotiating the mountain bike course, as the race was a little bit similar to the Jewel of the XTERRA Global Tour’s off-road bike segment.

He said he would like to dedicate his first ever local bike race win to his wife Ritchell and their three-year-old daughter, Alianna. Sublemente said he would also like to thank his company, Thai Massage, for sponsoring him in the event.

Carey, for her part, finished sixth overall and tops among women cyclists, crossing the finish line in 1:03:21.

Like Sublemente, Carey has been a familiar face in previous local XTERRA races. She said her participation in the Ayuda Charity Mountain Bike Race was also in preparation for the Half Ironman Triathlon she will compete in later this month in Kansas.

A total of 20 mountain bike enthusiasts took part in last Saturday’s race, including Tyce Mister and Nate Hawley who came in second and third in the men’s division behind Sublemente with times of 57:20 and 57:22, respectively.

Dr. Florian Braig (59:12) and Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation president Ross Quinn (1:01:17) completed the Top 5.

For the women, Heather Kennedy avoided all the dogs this time and finished second in a time of 1:20:22, while Kimiko Hasegawa overcame scrapes and falls to come in third, crossing the finish line in 1:31:27.

Marianas Visitors Authority’s Ed Diaz said the Inaugural Ayuda Charity Mountain Bike Race was sponsored by MVA and Hyatt Regency Saipan.

He also thanked the support given by Pacific Islands Club, Yano’s Ent., Inc., Saipan World Resort, Saipan Grand Hotel, Tasi Tours and Bus Transportation, Northern Marianas Athletics, Rosss Quinn (who helped clear the course), and landowners in Mt. Tapochao.

All proceeds from the Inaugural Ayuda Charity Mountain Bike Race will go into a charitable trust fund account that will provide an opportunity for non-profit organizations to submit a grant application. The event was also held as part of the Tourism Month Activities.