TSG receives 63 applications from international riders
KUALA TERENGGANU: After securing the top spot in team ranking in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)’s Asia Tour Ranking this year, the Terengganu Inc TSG Cycling Team (TSG) has received numerous applications from international riders.
TSG chief executive officer Che Ku Mohd Izmuddin Che Ku Mahmood said thus far, the team had received 63 applications from professional riders around the world who were keen to represent TSG next year.
However, he said currently TSG had no intention to reshuffle the team and would maintain the services of the existing nine local riders and seven import cyclists including Artem Ovechkin and Youcef Reguigui.
“Thus far, we retain the existing riders, especially the local riders for next year’s challenge.
“But we are just starting the new season, so let’s wait and see at how well they perform in the next two or three months.
“In TSG we have a technical committee that evaluates riders’ performance during training and racing. In the event that their performance is below par, then we can perhaps review the 63 applications of the international riders,” he told a press conference after an event to celebrate the TSG cycling team’s success here, last night.
Also present was state Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisation Committee chairman Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah.
Apart from retaining the existing riders, Wan Izzmuddin said TSG also planned to absorb two riders from TSG Cycling Academy, Wan Muhammad Hafizan Ifwat Wan Badrulfadli Sham and Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan, in the elite team next year.
He said the two riders have shown impressive quality in terms of performance, discipline and maturity which are essential qualities to address the huge challenges of the TSG elite team.
“That’s the real purpose of us establishing the TSG Cycling Academy, to serve as a platform to polish young talents and potentials before they are ready to play in the elite team.
“We have previously introduced ‘fresh’ riders in the elite team, but they are not yet mature to show the same qualities as Anuar Manan, Zamri Salleh and Mohd Harif Salleh who have had sufficient exposure before performing on the international stage,” he said, adding that the team was determined to maintain the status of Asia’s number one team next year.
For this year, TSG has secured first place in Asia for the second time. The last time the team secured the top spot was in 2012.
The team emerged as the leader in the Asia’s team ranking after collecting 2,658 points, ahead of another national team, Team Sapura Cycling (TSC) at second place with 1822.26 points.
With the success, the TSG team which comprise 16 riders now ranks 28th in the world out of 214 teams competing in the UCI’s Asian Tour calendars, which include ‘pro continental’ and ‘pro tour’ teams.
— BERNAMA
