CORBUSIER BROTHERS: Laurel Lauridsen Adrian (right) looks to give Team Corbusier a win in CycleFest Sarawak 2013 along with new teammate Sylvester Ding.
KUCHING: Team Corbusier’s Laurel Lauridsen Adrian is looking to give his team the perfect start to the 2013 season with success in this weekend’s CycleFest Sarawak.
The 21-year-old UiTM sport science student is a highly rated rider in the cycling fraternity.
“I really think we have a very good chance for the CycleFest as our training has been going very well,” Laurel said.
In Sarawak cycle racing, Team Corbusier is the dominant team as they are well funded and have what is considered the best coaching programme.
“I think their coaching programme is one reason why Garry Tay left us to join Corbusier,” revealed Team 3Gx’s Tay Kok Fook about an interesting post-season development in Kuching last year.
Only 17-years-old, Tay shocked everyone in his rookie season when he won the Sarawak Closed Championship last October when 3GX set him and Andy Kueh for a two-men breakaway that the pack could not chase down.
“Sylvester Ding also left us for Corbusier,” Tay said.
Ding, 25, is considered a specialist mountain biker.
Team 3GX has no sponsors or coaches while Corbusier is sponsored by team principal Safri Mohammed through his PU Architects firm.
Laurel is glad to have Tay and Ding join the team.
“Sylvester’s house is just in front of mine, so it was natural I asked him to consider joining Corbusier,” Laurel explained.
“It’s too bad Garry is no longer with 3GX but it’s best for his future development. However, I warned him that he now have to fight for his place in Corbusier,” said Kok Fook, whose shop Cycle Hub is the team’s headquarters.
In conjunction with the CycleFest, the shop is having a sale and will also have a booth at this weekend’s Padang Merdeka event.
They are also organising a computerised 3D bike-fitting session with certified personnel bringing in equipment from Singapore.
While Lundu’s Junaidah Juss, one of the top Malaysian women mountainbikers, is crying out for support, Laurel has no such problems.
Under Corbusier’s sponsorship, all he needs to do is train and race hard.
However, he does have to pull double duty as assistant to team coach Supian Nor, the long-time Sarawak champion.
It is a small price to pay for what he is getting, as far as he is concerned.
The sport science major is grateful for his Corbusier sponsorship.
“Bascially, I started from scratch here in Sarawak and Safri Mohammed through Team Corbusier has brought me to where I am today,” he said.
The team has been working on their team trial techniques as they prepare for the big race.
“Our speed has been really consistent and the teamwork is there,” Laurel added.