KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s road race cyclist Nur Aisyah Mohamad Zubir will participate in about 20 competitions in Belgium and the Netherlands as her final preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said because of this, the 27-year-old rider will skip the Road Race Cycling Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan from June 5 to 12.
“I have already discussed this with (women’s road race cycling coach) Amir Mustafa Rusli. She will be in Belgium beginning May 25 and stay there until she participates in the Olympics.
“She will take part in about 20 championships in Belgium and the Netherlands. So I think she has a full schedule,” he told reporters recently.
Asked if other cyclists would be accompanying Aisyah on the trip, Amarjit said MNCF is trying to make arrangements to bring some reserve riders as a contingency plan.
Aisyah will be Malaysia’s first representative in Olympics women’s road racing and for track events, the country will have three representatives in Paris – Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri.
Meanwhile, Amarjit said the chances of Malaysia’s women’s sprint trio participating in the Paris Olympics are slim although the team is on the first reserve list.
“We are the first emergency reserve but a team will rarely withdraw unless something horrible happens to them.
“But it’s good to know our riders are on that emergency reserve list. I feel we should not just look at Paris but beyond into the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028,” he added.
Amarjit was commenting on a statement by National Sports Council deputy director-general of sports development Jefri Ngadirin who said that according to national cycling technical director John Beasley, the women’s sprint team – ranked ninth for the Olympics and 11th in the world – is the first reserve for Paris.
The women’s sprint team comprises Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, Nurul Aliana Syafika Azizan and Anis Amira Rosidi.
He said Izzah will be getting new bikes, including the W-XR model used by Mohd Azizulhasni and Muhammad Shah Firdaus, in about two weeks.
“We have ordered the bikes for her, and she will be getting the bikes very soon for her training and to compete in the Olympics,” he said.
The Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11. – May 6, 2024