China's Guo claims women's road cycling gold after strong sprint finish

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Guo Li edged Afghanistan's Fariba Hashimi in a closely contested sprint to win the women's cycling road race at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday, claiming gold on her Games debut.

Guo crossed the line in two hours, 50 minutes and five seconds after the 90.4-kilometer race at the Shinshiro Cycling Road Course. Hashimi took silver with the same time, while Leung Wing Yee of Hong Kong, China finished 41 seconds behind to claim bronze.

The race featured 40 riders from 17 countries and regions. After being unable to break clear on a climb, Guo conserved her energy and waited for the sprint. With roughly 300 to 400 meters remaining, she judged Hashimi's pace before accelerating from behind to take the win.

"I wasn't sure if I could outsprint her," Guo said, acknowledging that her limited experience at major races meant she was still learning about her opponents.

When her compatriot Zhang Hao, the individual time trial silver medalist, arrived at the finish, the two riders embraced in tears.