Team Corbusier’s five riders for today’s race are (from left) Fito Prilanji, Amirul Anwar Jafri, Laurel Lauridsen Adrian, Yudhi Rachmad and Abdul Rashid Ibrahim.
KUCHING: Sarawak’s Team Corbusier are facing unprecedented resistance from the field in defending their Health race men’s Open title today.
Team captain Laurel Lauridsen Adrian is the defending champion and the team has built a team to boost their chances of winning.
They have recruited Team Malaysia’s Amirul Anwar Jafri and Abdul Rashid Ibrahim in addition to Kalimantan pros Fito Prilanji and Yudhi Rachmad.
Team Giant Racing, a key contender, have national time trial champion Fauzan Ahmad Lufti in addition to Team Malaysia captain Suhardi Hassan and Sukma 2008 champion Hafiz Rosli.
Other strong contenders are MSN Terengganu, Team Viking and Saxon Racing.
Amirul and Rashid, both 22, are products of the Negri Sembilan system. Amirul won the 2008 Sukma track scratch race and the team time trial with Rashid.
They were also in the Team Malaysia squad at the 2014 LeTour de Langkawi and the Asian Cycling Championship in Kazakhthan.
They will be the key to Laurel winning the race but he is not limiting the chances to himself only.
“If someone else can win, I will help him,” said Laurel.
Amirul noted that they must be in the breakaway if they are to win.
“Whatever happens, we must be in the break,” he said.
Team coach Shaiful Helmi is optimistic but guarded.
“I believe we can win but it will be difficult,” said Shaiful.
The decisive break is expected to come in the Kuching Politeknik hills after 70kms of racing.
This was the scenario in yesterday’s junior men’s 64km race when the winner came from the breakaway in the Politeknik hills at the 30km mark.
Team Viking’s Reza Nuralhman won in the five-men sprint to beat Terengganu’s Muhd Sharul Afham and Zuladri Amin Zulkurnain.
Saxon’s Shaiful Adlan and Amir Imran, two of the club’s best prospects now training at the NSC Ipoh Regional Centre, were the top Sarawakians at fourth and fifth.
The top five were all credited with 1hr. 34mins 43secs.
“We were aiming for the win but to finish in the top five is also very satisfying,” said Saxon team manager Saiful Azuad.
Corbusier’s Garry Tay, who was third last year, could only manage ninth with teammate Noel Lim tenth.
Coach Shaiful was perplexed as to how they missed the break.
“We told them to expect it, so how they missed it is a mystery,” he said.
In the 64km womens race, Terengganu’s Aimi Iwasaki won in a breakaway to finish in 1hr 50mins 2secs.
The five women sprinting for the remaining podium spots saw Terengganu’s Ummi Hamimah and Viking’s Fitri Yani taking second and third respectively.
Team Sonamu’s Junaidah Juss, the SEA Games mountainbiker, had to settle for fourth after losing by a bike length.
“Between work and family commitments, my training was just not enough,” said Junaidah.
Sunday will also see the contest for the Sarawak Closed title with Saxon’s Patrick George the defending champion.
He won the masters race Saturday, defeating MasWing’s Roger Astra Sellepan and Ahmad Joyo for the title.
“I am the underdog for the Closed but don’t count me out,” warned Patrick.
Corbusier’s Harun siblings Afiq and Zahin are their best bet for the title and will have the backing of teammates like Sabah-born Charles Diking.
“I hope we can breakaway as it will be easier to win then,” said Afiq.