Adiq’s lone medal the saving grace for Malaysia in road cycling

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia ended the Asian cycling championships road racing with just a silver medal, won by Mohd Adiq Husainie Othman in the men’s Under-23 event.

It was definitely a better performance than last year in Thailand where the contingent came home with their tail between their legs after failing to win a single medal from the road events.

However, it has to be noted that there was no Under-23 category last year and Adiq, who is plying his trade with Asian professional continental team Champion System, was a favourite to reach the podium in the race.

National junior riders at the meet generally lacked the tactical acumen to read the race and position themselves in a good spot to counter any attacks from the peloton.

In the men’s junior race, the team’s strategy went up in smoke after Malek Marcus Mccrone, sprinter for the team, crashed out with four laps to go in the 115.2km event.

Coach Soud Hussain had predicted a bunched finish and Malek was their ace in the hole for the final surge.

A number of breakaways took place, but no Malaysian riders were among them.

And it was the riders in the final breakaway group that finished ahead of the peloton, albeit with just a four-second advantage.

In the women’s junior race, Noor Azian Maslin Sazali went on a solo breakaway as early as in the second lap of the 76.8km race. But as the peloton increased their pace to catch Azian, her team-mates failed to play an active role in the chase.

The focus of riders and coaches was also subject to question in the dismal performance of the team. Prior to the men’s elite time trial, coach Syed Mohd Husaini Syed Mazlan indicated that Mohd Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi would not give his best so as to save himself for the Le Tour de Langkawi which starts on Feb 24.

As a result, Fauzan finished in ninth place, almost four minutes behind winner Eugen Wacker of Kyrgyzstan. Surprisingly, Fauzan was a minute down from Tuguldur Tuulkhangai of Mongolia who finished fifth.

In a race against time with no tactics involved, it was a pity that Malaysia conceded defeat even before the race. And yet, he was satisfied with his performance.

In the men’s junior time trial, a blunder by team officials put paid to Ahmad Firdaus Abdul Karim performance.

Prior to the race, Firdaus took his bike out from the holding area after he went for a bike check, meaning that he had to undergo a check once again before the start.

But the team officials overlooked the matter and when Firdaus took to the ramp for the start, race commissaires pulled his bike down for the mandatory check while the clock was already ticking for him.

He finished seventh in 35:46.003 after losing a minute due to the slipup, which otherwise would have produced a medal.