JAKARTA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Raziff Jaafar and Singaporean Shirley Teo won their respetive male and female groups of the Gran Fondo New York (GNFY) international cycling event in Lombok, Indonesia, brushing aside around 800 cyclists from 32 countries and regions who vied in the races.
Jaafar, who earlier won the 2017 GNFY Malaysia, booked a record fastest time of 4:17.49 to seize the male overall title, while Teo booked 5:53.18 to secure the female crown.
Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya greeted the winners and hailed the successful event, hoping that it would further promote Lombok as suitable place to host international sport tourism events.
"And when they return to their respective countries, I hope they would be tourism ambassadors for Lombok," the minister said on Monday, referring to the foreign cyclists taking part in the event.
Lombok has successfully hosted several international-class sport tourism events that attracted athletes from foreign countries and regions, the minister added.
The 2017 GFNY Indonesia held on Sunday was also served as 2017 GFNY Asia championship, part of the Gran Fondo qualification races held in several countries. Winners of the marathon cycling event are entitled to front row starts in the upcoming race to be held in New York.
