Our Ah Keong, a winner at last!!!

The national road cycling team came home after six days of racing in the Tour de Thailand today. And there's just this proud feeling in me about the victory that our man from Kuala Krai, Loh Sea Keong got on Stage Three of the race last Wednesday.
Anybody who knows the road squad and the riders in it, will know what Ah Keong is all about. He's always been the worker, a really hard one at that. He'd broken barriers to open the eyes of the cycling fraternity.
But yet, until last Wednesday, this 22-year old had only been known for the sacrifices he'd made and the courageous person that he is.
Embedded in my own memory was the way Ah Keong rode in Le Tour de Langkawi in 2006. His Discovery Channel-Marco Polo team had been hard hit from the start, losing their sprinter Sergey Kudentsov through illness before the start of the race, then down went their Chinese rider Xin Yandong. By Stage Two, Marco Polo were left with three riders. Ah Keong had nobody to work for.
From then on, Ah Keong rode like a man possessed. Everyday on race radio, you hear: "Attack, by number 156, Loh Sea Keong, Discovery Channel-Marco Polo." Everytime you hear: "There's now an new attack by a group of riders...." You could be sure number 156 was there.
That picture you see above, was at the end of Stage Seven of LTDL 2006, where Ah Keong was part of an 11-man breakaway and did well to finish seventh. In the meantime, he'd caused a sensation when he attacked solo as the bunch rode into his hometown of Kuala Krai, announcing on the following TV camera: "This is my hometown. I'm from here."
Everytime, Ah Keong rides now, we we can't help but hope for the same thrilling performance. But he doesn't get the opportunity, simply because he's a teammate and works for his team leaders.
So, after doing so much, Ah Keong deserved every bit of his win in Thailand last Wednesday. His first UCI race stage win. And we hope for more to come. Go Ah Keong!!!

UPDATE!

Here's the picture of Ah Keong winning the third stage of the Tour de Thailand, furnished by the winner himself. Look! Solo across the finish line. That's the way!! Thanks Ah Keong...