Harrif becomes first Malaysian to win in Europe.
Terengganu cyclist hopes to spur other Malaysians after winning one-day race
PETALING JAYA: Harrif Saleh has let his legs do the talking in Europe by pedalling to a superb victory in the Grand Prix Velo Manavgat in Turkey.
And he hopes other Malaysian road cyclists will strive to follow in his footsteps.
The 32-year-old Harrif earned a first for himself and also Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) by winning their first race in the European Tour on Saturday.
TSG went to Europe to seek out racing opportunities as events in Asia were cancelled because of border restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In the race, Harrif was one of two riders who managed to break away with 20km left before charging first across the finish line in 3’13:35. It was indeed a proud day for Terengganu as fellow state cycling star Azizulhasni Awang had also sprinted to gold in the Victoria Elite Track Championships several hours earlier.
Poland’s Alan Banaszek took second place in the 145.8km distance race ahead of Ukrainian national team rider Andrii Kulyk.
Yousef Reguigui of Algeria, the 2015 Le Tour de Langkawi yellow jersey winner, was the second-best finisher for TSG in seventh place.
The momentous victory was even sweeter for Harrif as he managed to finish better than one of his cycling idols Andrea Guardini.
The Italian rider, who holds the LTdL record of winning a total of 24 Stage wins and won at the Giro d’Italia, finished fourth in the one-day race meeting.
“This is a significant win for me after 11 years of doing road cycling. I became the first Malaysian to win in the European Tour and maybe the first Asian,” said Harrif, the sole Malaysian representative.
“It was a sprint fight on flat terrain, so it suited my riding style but I could not have won TSG’s first win this season without the help from my teammates.
“I was not expecting to win as the last high-level race I took part in was one year ago in LTdL. There were no competitions since then to gauge our form.
“Moreover, this is my first race in Europe as I have been competing in Asia all this while.
“I have shown that a Malaysian rider can also win abroad if they are prepared to work really hard for it.
“I hope more Malaysian cyclists will adopt a good mindset to improve themselves,” said Harrif, who became the most successful Malaysian rider in LTdL when he claimed two Stage wins in 2020 and one in 2019.