By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, May 13: The Siol International Mountain Bike Challenge 2025 (SIMBC 2025) prize pool has increased from RM87,000 to RM100,000, making it the largest prize money for a mountain biking event in Asia.
Announcing this at a press conference today, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said SIMBC 2025 is not just a race, but a celebration of the sport of mountain biking where more than 300 top riders from around the globe will take part.
Scheduled to take place at the scenic Bukit Siol from Aug 21-24, SIMBC 2025 promises a greater adrenaline-fueled celebration of athleticism.
“It is a highly anticipated and reputable event on a location known for its challenging terrains, attracting world mountain biking participants to test their skills and endurance against the rugged landscape of Bukit Siol.
“When it comes to any international events, athletes will look at the prize monies. This must be attractive to pull them in to join.
“We’re talking about participants hailing from countries such as Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Nepal, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, and across Malaysia.
“This event will unite professionals, amateurs, tourists and locals, creating a dynamic and inclusive sporting festival. Thousands of local spectators are expected to converge at Siol as well,” Abdul Karim said.
Organised by Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), the event was first held in 2003. In 2014, it was enhanced to meet full Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) specifications.
Two years later, in 2016, the event was officially sanctioned by UCI as a Category 3 (C3) mountain bike race. It was then upgraded and renamed to SIMBC.
SIMBC marked another historic milestone for Sarawak as the first international cycling event in the state and one of the only two international MTB events in Malaysia.
Due to its success over the years and being a reputable event, SIMBC 2025 was awarded Class 1 (C1) status by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) earlier this year.
“This prestigious recognition speaks volumes about the quality, competitiveness and professionalism of the event, putting it among the elite global mountain biking competitions.
“That is why when I saw the total prize money was RM87,000, we should make it to RM100,000. My ministry will top up the balance,” Abdul Karim said.
He asserts that this event is relevant to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak because it helps in promoting sports tourism in Sarawak.
Being the tourism minister himself, Abdul Karim pointed out how international events align with the state’s strategic goal of positioning Sarawak as a premier destination for adventure and sports tourism in Malaysia as well as in Borneo.
Meanwhile, SIMBC 2025 will feature categories suitable for all levels of riders, such as Cross Country Olympic (XCO) — C, Downhill Individual (DHI) — C2, Cross Country Short Course (XCC) — С3, Cross Country Eliminator (XCE) — С3, and Cross-Country Relay (XCR) — Team Relay.
A new category for this year is the DHI Under-16 Category. This, Abdul Karim said, is a youth-focused addition aimed at developing the next generation of elite Malaysian cyclists.
There will also be a side event, the Siol Trail Run, on August 23, designed for both competitive and recreational runners. — DayakDaily
