KUALA LUMPUR – Despite not becoming UCI Track Champions League (TCL) champion, Malaysia’s track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang has gone above and beyond in the inaugural tournament.
National track cycling coach John Beasley admitted that he was blown away by Azizulhasni’s impressive ride in the UCI TCL after latter hopped back on the saddle sooner than expected following last April’s open heart surgery.
“Better than expected, I personally thought we would be in the bottom of the field, as they have 18 of the world’s best sprinters in the event.
“So, to finish in the top ten was pretty special considering his limited training and first race since the men’s keirin final of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan,” he said.
“The Pocket Rocketman” concluded his campaign in the new UCI TCL in eighth place with 60 points overall while Australian rider Matthew Richardson was crowned as the champion with 183 points in men’s sprint category.
The 34-year-old cyclist was also featured in the final of his pet event, men’s keirin, finishing fifth in the last round of UCI TCL before a sell-out crowd of over 5,500 fans inside the iconic 2012 Olympic Games venue, Lee Valley VeloPark in London, last Saturday.
Describing Azizulhasni as a phenomenal athlete with an incredible appetite for competition, Beasley said he was also pleased to see that his charge managed to race with a massive smile on his face throughout the five-round tournament which kicked off in Mallorca, Spain, on November 12.
Meanwhile, the Australian coach said that Azizulhasni will return to action in the Malaysian National Cycling Federation President Cup I and II on December 7 and 8 at National Velodrome, Nilai, Negri Sembilan followed by the UCI class 1 race in Melbourne, Australia on December 17.
In the meantime, Beasley said he will not rush to help the former men’s keirin world champion return to his best form.
“So now, it’s a matter of managing him. We need to continue the overload to keep the physical aspect moving in the desired direction, though also make sure he is not doing too much, too quickly as the aim is to keep him healthy and free from injuries.
“We don’t want to suppress the nervous system too much as he will get sick...so it’s a fine balance we need to keep,” he said.
Apart from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification which kicks off February 2023, Beasley had laid out plans for Azizulhasni to compete in the Asian Championships which is slated to be held in Malaysia next June as well as the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023. – Bernama, December 6, 2022
