LANGKAWI – Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team’s (TSG) sprinter Harrif Saleh expressed his disappointment following his ejection from the 2022 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) recently.
He was disqualified during the fifth stage of the 26th tour edition on Saturday after the 34-year-old was found violating competition rules when he clung onto a vehicle on a route from Kuala Kangsar, Perak to Kulim, Kedah.
However, the decision by the commissaries was only known a few hours after the race ended following protest from another team – believed to be also from Southeast Asia.
“I know who I am and what I did. I admit that I made a mistake. I also know many other riders made other mistakes and their action were recorded too, but no one made a fuss about it.
“Maybe because I am Harrif Saleh. I think if it were any other cyclists else, they (the complainant) would not have cared to report.
“Anyway, I am not bothered anymore. I am just upset that my supporters showed up at the race (at Stage 6’s Georgetown-Alor Star) to see me, but I was unable to give them a good show,” he said in an interview.
The Kuala Terengganu-born cyclist explained that the incident happened roughly 1km from reaching the climbing zone at Bukit Sumpitan as he was trying to catch up to the group ahead of him.
Harrif had three stage wins in LTdL, including the recent Stage 1 route from Kuala Pilah to Kuala Lumpur, which was more than any other Malaysian rider has achieved.
Following his ejection, TSG is pinning its hopes on four riders for the remaining two races that will take place today and tomorrow in Langkawi.
During the fourth stage on Friday, TSG lost its road captain Youcef Reguigui after he sustained a severe knee injury following a crash roughly 500m from the finish line. – The Vibes, October 17, 2022
