KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) ended their season on a high at Tour Gateh D’Tranung after winning both the team and individual general classification titles in Kuala Terengganu yesterday (Nov 3).
MPC’s riders were spread across three teams during the eight-stage competition – the main MPC team, MPC’s feeder outfit Helaz Cycling Team, as well as the Armed Forces team.
MPC allowed their key riders Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil, Zawawi Azman and Zahin Wahhi to race for the Armed Forces, who are also the trio’s employers.
MPC invited former Sapura rider Cristian Raileanu as well as Callum Macleod, Jonas Muller and Simone Lucca to race in their main squad alongside Akmal Hakim Zakaria, Ariff Danial Noor Roseidi and Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah.
Raileanu, who won two stages, claimed the yellow jersey (individual general classification) with a total time of 19 hours, 14 minutes and seven seconds.
Muller (+26s) made it a 1-2 for MPC while Terengganu Cycling Team’s (TSG) Adne van Engelen (+27s) completed the podium.
MPC won the team GC with a total time of 56:46:58s. Muller, 21, also claimed victory in the Under-23 riders classification.
MPC team principal Sayuti Zahit was pleased with his riders’ performances across all three teams.
“We invited four foreign riders to race for our main team here and I am happy that we were able to gel together right off the bat,” said Sayuti when contacted in Terengganu today (Nov 4).
“It was especially good to reunite with Cristian. He played an important part in helping Sapura win the Le Tour de Langkawi yellow jerseys in 2019-2020.
“This year he came back to Malaysia as our lead rider and he won the GC.
“Our young riders competing for HCT also did well. Syawal Mazlin (21) came close to winning the under-23 team classification but unfortunately crashed in the seventh stage and fractured his coccyx bone.
“Izzat and Zawawi also did very well for the Armed Forces so it was a great way to end the season. We are hoping to achieve more next year. We have plans but I can’t reveal too much just yet”.
Izzat, who managed four stage podium finishes, won the sprinters classification (green jersey) on 58 points with TSG’s Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan coming in second overall (46 points). RCF Cycling Team’s Lucas Carstensen was third (46 points).
Zawawi claimed the polka dot jersey (climbers classification) on 19 points with Raileanu (15 points) and van Engelen (13 points) settling for second and third.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
