Jakarta. Indonesian cyclist Liontin Evangelina Setiawan finished third in the women's junior individual time trial at the 2017 Asian Cycling Championship in Bahrain on Sunday (26/02).

The 17-year-old cyclist, better known by her nickname Angel, achieved a time of 19 minutes and 50.28 seconds, only slightly slower than the winner Kang Qiao of China and Marina Kurnossova of Kazakhstan, who finished in second place.

Angel, who is the daughter of former elite cyclists Henry Setiawan and Nurhayati, amazed the Indonesian team coaches with her achievement since she had a fever a day before the race.

"It was amazing. We knew that Angel could achieve something in Bahrain because she managed to reach speeds of 41 kilometers per hour during training, which is faster than the last year's champion, who recorded a speed of 40 kilometers per hour," team manager Budi Saputra said in a statement.

"Our prediction was right," he added. "Angel was also motivated by coach Robby Yahya and Sama'i, who both previously stood on the podium at an Asian championship. It inspired her."

"Teams from other countries couldn't believe Indonesia can go to the podium, before officials declared that Angel was clear after a doping test," Budi said.