Combined event to kick-start cycling season

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KUALA LUMPUR: Motor racing promoter Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will organise a combined cycling event comprising a criterium and mountain bike race on Jan 24 as its first major event for the year.

Razlan Razali

Razlan Razali

SIC chief executive officer Razlan Razali said the SIC-Kencana Bikeathon, sponsored by Kencana Petroleum, would feature a criterium held on the circuit in the morning while the mountain bike challenge would venture the rugged terrains around the circuit in the afternoon.

“It will actually be two different races with two different sets of participants but we are running it under one name – the SIC-Kencana Bikeathon 2010.

“But we do allow interested competitors to enter both and I truly hope some will take up that challenge,” Razlan said in a statement yesterday.

He said the organisation of the bikeathon was in line with the circuit’s new image which he had advocated since becoming the CEO in 2008 – to promote the circuit as more than just a motor racing facility.

“We want to tell the world that SIC can organise sports and recreational events of any nature … be it motor racing, cycling, jogathon, cross-country running, orienteering and even futsal and wedding ceremonies if you want to.

“Of course, we had also done world-class concerts like Jamiroquai that we had at last year’s F1. We can do it all here at Sepang Circuit,” said Razlan.

He said cycling events were also not new to SIC as the circuit had organised a criterium with Kencana Petroleum in March 2008 and a major mountain bike race last year at the Sepang motocross track.

Both the criterium and mountain bike race would run three classes of competition – the veteran category for those above 45 years old, the junior category for riders aged between 18 and below while the rest compete in the open category with cash prizes amounting to RM5,000.

For further details on the event, interested competitors can log on to www.sepangcircuit.com and download entry forms which will be out soon. — Bernama