Corbusier and Sonamu riders dominate FAC raceBy Marshal Tiong

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KUCHING: Team Corbusier and Team Sonamu shared the spoils at the Federal Administrative Centre (FAC) race at Matang last Sunday.

Eddie McLean (right) holding his own against Team Corbusier’s Andy Wahab (left) and Azaree in the Politeknik Kuching hills.

Corbusier team leader Laurel Lauridsen Adrian was in good form as he cruised to the Senior title in the season’s longest race.

The junior race went to Sonamu’s Wan Haikal Wan Zainal.

In the sparsely attended club race, Team Corbusier were in control with Laurel breaking away with several teammates as early as 15km into the 133km race.

With 10 of the 19 riders in Corbusier blue, the only question was which Corbusier rider would win when the rest of the peloton could not bridge up.

Laurel’s group set a torrid pace to finish the first of five laps in 39mins with the nearest chasers some two minutes back.

By the end of the fourth lap, the lead group was down to three men with Corbusier’s Afiq Harun trying to maintain contact.

The lead group would not be caught and by the last lap only Garry Tay and Charles Diking could keep up with their captain.

Laurel would take the win when he left his teammates on the final climb to the Politelnik Kuching hilltop finish.

He finished the race in 3hr 33min 2sec with Charles and Tay trailing in 2min 18sec back to take second and third respectively.

Laurel averaged 37.46kph for the race which started off in perfect racing weather but ended with the mercury in the red.

With the big Sarawak Health race just six weeks away, Laurel looks to be on track as they build up to defend his title.

He was pleased to take the FAC race and paid tribute to his team.

“The team was very motivated. There are a lot of strong guys in this team,” said Laurel, who pocketed RM300 for the win.

“I am really happy with how we rode. We improved on our average speed for this kind of distance.”

He, however, expressed disappointment at the small field.

“We were excited to be in this race and thought there would be a lot of competition. I don’t know why there are so few riders,” he said.

Charles posted his strongest showing since joining the team two years ago.

“I was really motivated to keep up with Laurel but he was just too strong in the last lap,” said the 21-year-old UiTM student.

Kuching High School’s Garry Tay surprised organisers when he showed up in Corbusier blue.

Team Corbusier principal Safri Mohammed acknowledged his return to the fold, joking that Tay is “full of drama.”

The 80km junior race was an eventful affair with one Sonamu rider breaking his chain moments to the start.

Rising junior Wan Haikal would take the first lap in 45min 14sec and finished the second of three laps in 1hr 28min 45sec to take a big lead.

Earlier, his teammates Elmer McGregor Dominic and Awg. Shairin A. Yusuf had broken away in the first lap only to be directed to a wrong turn which effectively ended their race.

Corbusier’s Ahmad Azdfar Zukari caught Haikal in the third lap but would be outsprinted at the line with both credited with 2hr 16min 50sec.

Muhd. Iman Alwi was third for Corbusier.

The race was probably the first of its kind in Kuching with cycling club Bike Connection Team(BCT) handling marshalling duties and the race conducted privately.

The organisers were disappointed by the low turnout but it was probably just as well as it gave BCT a chance to learn and rectify their mistakes since it was their first race assignment.

Sixty-one-year-old Eddie McLean, who managed to keep up with the main pack despite being twice their age, was pleased to see the race held.

“We should do this every month. You don’t improve if you don’t race,” said the Irishman, who finished the race, albeit quiet far back.

“The last lap was just murder,” he said, alluding to the hot weather.

Overall, the organisers were happy to see that the race went smoothly.

“We want to thank the Padawan Traffic Police division for coordinating so well with BCT and the St.John Ambulance crew for their help,” one of the organisers said.

They will also be holding a time trail meeting at the new SAINS roadway this Sunday.