A mountain to climb at first, but Syawal’s riding high now

Race leader Perak’s Muhammad Syawal Mazlin celebrates at the finishing line during the boys’ cycling cross country olympic final event of Malaysia Games (Sukma) at Siol MTB Track, Bukit Siol in Kuching, Sarawak yesterday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

PERAK’S Mohd Syawal Mazlin had to endure a tough transition from road cycling to mountain biking for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) but he has passed the stern test with flying colours.

The 20-year-old cyclist, who secured the mountain bike gold, had to face huge challenges in his preparations as his current training with the Malaysian Pro Cycling team is more focused on road events as they are selecting riders for this year’s Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL).