Thai National Cycling Team Steps Up Training for Major Championships, Eyeing Asian Title and Olympic Qualification

Mountain bike coach Robert Herber Jr. expects strong performances from Thai cyclists Poon Siri and Pong Pheera in the cross-country event and Pla Chart and Watchara Korn in the eliminator competition, while road cyclists are competing in the 2026 Tour de Gueom to accumulate Olympic qualifying points for 2028. Pol. Gen. Daecha Hemkraseri, president of the Thai Cycling Association, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), and president of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), announced that the cycling association has assembled all national cycling athletes across road, track, mountain bike, and BMX disciplines to prepare for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, utilizing comprehensive sports science methodology. The association coordinated with Thailand's Institute of Sports Science to conduct blood lactate testing for road and mountain bike cyclists at Chateau de Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima on April 28-30 to enable coaches to design appropriate training programs. For mountain bike athletes under coach Robert Herber Jr.'s supervision, training incorporates sports science analysis and lactate testing results, along with power meter technology to precisely measure cyclists' actual output and enable targeted performance development. The Thai mountain bike team for the 20th Asian Games comprises eight athletes: five men—Pla Chart Nak Thong Kam, Watchara Orn Tuli, Vorapong Mueang Suk, Pong Pheera Pong Ayukul, and Poon Siri Sirimongkol—and three women—Pin Phak Chiang Suan, Porn Phukt Prapodit Tang, and Phumrat Chelinkit. The cycling association plans to send mountain bike athletes to compete in the 2026 Asian Mountain Bike Championships in Uzbekistan from June 23-27, with coach Herber focusing on events contested at the Asian Games, primarily men's and women's cross-country, while also having athletes compete in eliminator events to test readiness for Nagoya. Early competition is essential, as athletes trained since March need international races to gauge their true potential and avoid training monotony. Road cyclists will relocate to Chiang Mai province once PM2.5 air quality improves, as the terrain resembles Nagoya. The cycling association received cooperation from Chiang Mai University's medical technical team to provide comprehensive sports science support including anatomy, physiology, nutrition, psychology, biomechanics, sports medicine, and sports technology. After training in Chiang Mai, the cycling association will send male cyclists to compete in the 2026 Tour de Gueom in South Korea.