PETALING JAYA: The Terengganu Cycling Team sprint train should expect a good workout when they compete in the Herald Sun Tour in Australia from Feb 5-9.
The race will be littered with world class sprinters from teams like Orica Greenedge, Garmin Sharp, Cannondale and Drapac Professional.
Among the cyclists expected at the meet are Matthew Goss (Orica), Steele Von Hoff (Garmin) and Jonathan Cantwell (Drapac). Recent Tour Down Under winner Simon Gerrans (Orica) will also be on the startline.
Terengganu have brought along two sprinters for the race – Mohd Harrif Salleh and Anuar Manan. The duo will be assisted by Mohd Zamri Salleh, national champion Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin, Adiq Husainie Othman and Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Marzuki.
The team are preparing for an all-out assault for a stage win in Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from Feb 27-March 8 and perfecting the sprint train is an important aspect the team hope to work on in Australia.
“This is the final race for us to prepare for LTdL and it will be a good workout for us because of the quality of the field,” said Zamri, the elder brother of Harrif.
The race will start with a 2.5km prologue in Melbourne before the first stage starts in Geelong on Feb 6. The 573.5km race will finish with a circuit race in Arthurs Seat on Feb 9.
Zamri, Harrif and Anuar are expected to start in LTdL, although no decision has been made yet on the remaining three riders.
Two new foreign recruits to the team, Muradjan Halmuratov of Uzbekistan and Marteen de Jonge of Holland, could take two of the spots with Mohd Saufi Mat Senan and Adiq in the running for the remaining spot.
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