Track cycling team to set up base in Spain

PETALING JAYA: The national track cycling squad will set up base in Spain in their final run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August.

Track cycling coach John Beasley said that the earlier plan to have the cyclists in Hyeres, France, between June and July had been called off.

Hyeres has a velodrome but it will not be available because the French team for the Olympics will have their summer training camp there.

“We are unable to book track time in France. Our next plan is to go to Spain in the middle of June. We will spend about six to seven weeks in Valencia and Mallorca,” said Beasley in a telephone interview from Melbourne, where the cyclists are currently based.

The team will have to switch their training base because it will be winter in Australia between June and July.

There are now five cyclists in training in Melbourne – Josiah Ng, Mohd Edrus Yunus, Azizul Hasni Awang, Rizal Tisin and Junaidi Nasir. But Malaysia can have only four riders and the deadline for entries is June 20.

Besides qualifying for the team sprint for the first time, Malaysia also qualified two spots in individual keirin and one in the 200m sprint.

Double Asian Championships gold medallist Azizul should get to race in the 200m sprint and keirin as well. And Josiah will form a two-pronged challenge for Malaysia in keirin. Josiah and Rizal Tisin are almost certain to make the sprint team while it will be a fight between Edrus and Junaidi for the final slot.

The 28-year-old Josiah made it to the top-six final in keirin in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Beasley added that he would decide on the four Malaysian entries for the Olympics after friendly competitions with the Australian team in Melbourne on June 15.

The competitions with the Australians, led by double Olympic champion Ryan Bayley, is also part of the build-up towards the Olympics.

Australia secured the maximum quota of five riders for track cycling in the Beijing Games and they are currently ranked second in team sprint behind France.