KUALA LUMPUR: Harrif Saleh paid homage to his beloved Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) as well and his mentor, Nasiruddin Wan Idrus, for helping him fulfil his potential in road cycling.
Arguably the finest road sprinter ever produced by Malaysia, Harrif, now 38, called time on his competitive career at the end of last season.
Harrif, who has been on the books at TSG since it was formed in 2011, will remain with the UCI continental squad for this season, though will now transition into a coaching role with the TSG Academy.
Harrif said it is time for him to give back to TSG.
“There will come a time when you are a rider that you feel that you cannot go (hard) anymore, then it is time to give the younger generation their chance,” said Harrif on TSG’s social media.
“I feel that I have been in cycling for a very long time and I am satisfied. It is time for me to share my knowledge with the next generation.
“I also feel that TSG has done their best for me. They are the ‘masterminds’ that have allowed me to reach this level.
“If you want to count, millions of Ringgit have been spent to produce Harrif Saleh, it is not easy.”
Harrif stressed that support from his team, family and certain individuals played a key role in shaping his career as a rider.
This includes Nasiruddin Wan Idrus who has supported him since his formative years.
Nasiruddin, a bicycle shop owner, would go on to become TSG chief operating officer.
“My family, my team, my friends and certain individuals such as Che Din (Nasiruddin) gave me a lot of support,” said Harrif.
“Che Din has supported me from since I was a kid. He gave me a lot of guidance, when I didn’t have money he gave me money to go races and at times even drove us to races.
“Sometimes there would be 10 of us (young riders) in his van going to a race in Selangor or somewhere.
“He saw the potential in me.”
Harrif, who grew up in Kampung Ladang, Kuala Terengganu, said he was inspired to become a professional cyclist after watching Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) pass through his hometown as a child.
“I would sometimes skip school just so I could watch the race pass through. I also watched reruns of the race on television at night,” added Harrif.
Harrif would go on to win three stages of LTdL throughout his career, more than any other Malaysian cyclist. He also holds the record of making the most appearances (16) in the UCI ProSeries race.
He also became the first Malaysian to win a UCI race in Europe after winning GP Velo Manavgat in Turkiye in 2021, which was one of over 20 UCI races he won throughout his career.
He is also a six-time SEA Games gold medallist.
TSG riders honoured Harrif with a guard of honour during their official team launch for the new season earlier this week.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
