Cycling: TSG heat up chilly Sharjah with strong showing in season-opener

Focus

By ARNAZ M. KHAIRUL

01 Feb 2023 02:22pm

Terengganu-Polygon Cycling Team's Aiman Chahyadi won the overall mountains classification at the Tour of Sharjah in the United Arab EMirates which ended yesterday.

SHAH ALAM - Uncertainty ringing through their minds in their opening race of the year amidst the chilly tailend of the Arabian winter, the new-look Terengganu-Polygon Cycling Team (TSG) seemed to warm-up to each other swiftly, rising to the occasion to complete Tour of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates with their first jersey victory of the year in the bag yesterday.

After taking the mountains clasification lead after the first stage, which saw Eritrean Metkel Eyob step onto the podium after a third place finish last Friday, the TSG squad battled to keep Indonesian signing Aiman Chahyadi in the red jersey, particularly n the critical Stage Four which saw a steep six kilometre climb up the Al Shuhub Mountain.

Ending the final stage with another podium through Kuala Terengganu-born Irwandie Lakasek yesterday, while Eyob completed the show ranked sixth in the final general classification, team manager Wan Mohd Nazri Wan Ahmad said it was a positive start to their defence of the UCI Asia Tour overall title.

"We did not know what to expect in the chilly weather and with new riders in the squad, but the team gelled well from the start and I can say it was a positive showing for the first race of the year," said Wan Mohd Nazri, when contacted in Istanbul, where the team landed today to begin preparations for the UCI 2.1 status Tour of Antalya on Feb 9-12.

It was also the first race of the year for Ukraine's Anatoliy Budyak, who moves with Eyob, Irwandie, Aiman, Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan and veteran Shahrul Mat Amin, to Turkiye, where vital points are on offer in their quest to meet their target of finishing the year as the top-ranked UCI Continental team in the world.