Harun brothers – Team Corbusier’s Harun siblings of Afiq and Zahin can be counted on to support the team.
KUCHING: Everything is all set for the biggest cycling race of the season to date, Sunday’s Al-Bait Road Race, with some RM9,000 in prize money at stake.
It has been a trying time in the run-up for the organisers as they had to change the route due to road construction.
However, the organising comittee led by Koperasi Al-Bait Sarawak Berhad chairman Datu Abang Mohd Shibli Abang Nailie looks to have overcome the obstacles.
With almost RM9,000 in total prize money at stake, the 120km race is one of the richer and longest events in Sarawak.
The RM1,500 first prize has attracted some of the top teams in the region like Team Giant-Malaysia from the Peninsula and Pontianak’s Kalbar and Panther Racing.
It is not known what will be the make-up of Giant as the national championship is supposed to be held on the same day in Kelantan.
“They say that Fauzan is supposed to be here but I wonder about it as we have the nationals in Kelantan,” said Shaiful Helmi, the sporting director of Kuching’s Team Corbusier.
He was referring to Giant’s national time trial champion Fauzan Ahmad Lufti.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that one would not skip the national championship if one can help it.
Regardless whether Giant field their top riders, they can always be counted on to be a podium threat.
Kuching racers are in it tough for a podium spot with Corbusier, the only UCI team in Sarawak, going all out with five top Indonesians of Fito Prilanji, Yudhi Rachmad, Yudhi Sugiharto, Iqbal Fernando and Raden Saputra.
Team captain will be Laurel Lauridsen Adrian.
Corbusier’s local content of Charles Diking, Afiq Harun, Zahin Harun and Zaid Ismail
will be looking to support their captain as they try to maintain their dominance in the local peloton.
The team has always been known to race aggressively and it looks to be no exception come Sunday.
Corbusier’s Shaiful did not reveal his strategy but acknowledged that breakaways have to be contained.
“We will send our riders to limit the damage from any early breakaways,” said Shaiful.
The top local threat to Corbusier should come from Team Viking and Team Saxon Racing, where Saxon’s Patrick George Siqueen predicts a fast race.
“With teams from the Peninsula and Pontianak, there is no question it will be fast,” said Patrick.
“I think only those that can stay in the peloton will last the entire 120km,” he added.
He considered himself an underdog.
“I will definitely be an underdog as I will not have many teammates supporting me,” said Patrick, who last won the Master’s title in the 2015 Sarawak Health race.
He could finish in the money for the Sarawak Closed category as the prize-money is for the top 10 finishers.
He is not relishing a sprint finish after 120km of racing.
“I am too old to be going for a sprint finish against the youngsters,” he joked.
The race is scheduled to start at Kompleks Islam with a short neutral zone before the flag drops at Plaza Merdeka.
Cash prizes await the top 10 winners (1st: RM1,500, 2nd: RM1,300, 3rd: RM1,100, 4th to 10th: RM500 each) with an additional prize category for local cyclists (1st: RM500, 2nd: RM400, 3rd: RM300, 4th to 10th: RM150.