KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) sporting director Saiful Anuar Aziz is banking on the young trio of Ren Bao Tsen, Syawal Mazlin and Kee Zhe Yie to put Malaysia on the podium at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 14-17).
Saiful will be taking on the role of national road cycling squad head coach for the Sea Games.
The mass start road race will offer two gold medals this year – individual and team categories – and Saiful is aiming for the podium in the latter.
“As hosts, Thailand have chosen a very hilly course which suits their riders very well,” said Saiful when contacted today (Nov 9).
“Indonesia and Laos also have very good climbers so I anticipate it will be hard for us to win a medal in the individual category.
“Our goal is to fight for a top three finish in the team category, which combines the finishing times of the first three riders from each team.
“We are hoping that Ren Bao (St George Continental), Syawal (Malaysia Pro Cycling) and Zhe Yie (TSG) will be able to do well in the race.
“We know that winning the gold will be tough, but that won’t stop us from trying. It will be a bonus if we can get the gold.”
The other two riders selected for the mass start road race team are Nur Aiman Zariff and Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki. The TSG duo won gold at the last two editions of the Sea Games, which featured less hilly routes.
Ren Bao and Zhe Yie, both 22, as well as Syawal, 21, have impressed in recent seasons.
Syawal was the first Malaysian rider to cross the finish line during the queen stage of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) in Cameron Highlands last year while Ren Bao managed a top five finish in the Asian riders classification in LTdL this year.
Zhe Yie finished fourth in the men’s under-23 category road race at the Asian Championships in Thailand earlier this year.
Syawal, however, suffered a fractured coccyx bone after crashing during stage seven of Tour Gateh D’Tranung earlier this month.
“From what I understand the injury is not too serious. Syawal was able to continue riding in the final stage (stage eight) of Tour Gateh,” said Saiful.
Nur Aiman Rosli (TSG) and Zawawi Azman (MPC) have been selected to compete in the individual time trial event at the Sea Games.
Aiman Rosli will also compete in the team time trial alongside Zhe Yie, Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan (TSG) and Ameer Kamal (Police).
The national road squad will begin their centralised training camp at the Nilai Sports Complex on Nov 15. They will leave for Thailand on Dec 1 and continue to train there until the games begin.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
