Hot form at home

Riding high: Nur Aiman Rosli (centre) won his second gold in the men’s elite road race event on the final day of the National Championships in Pagoh, Johor.

PETALING JAYA: Local boy Mohd Nur Aiman Rosli overcame scorching temperatures to claim a rare double success in road race events on the final day of the National Championships in Pagoh, Johor, yesterday.

The 26-year-old Aiman Rosli made a stunning move to leave his breakaway group with 30km remaining to win the men’s elite road race title for Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) B in a total time of 3’40:26.

Mohd Nur Aiman Zariff, the winner of this event at the Vietnam SEA Games in 2022 for Malaysia, made it a superb one-two for TSG, crossing the line one minute and 20 seconds behind Aiman.

Police’s Ameer Ahmad Kamal completed the podium after finishing the race one minute and 22 seconds behind the winner.

The 160.2km race started and ended at Vocational College Pagoh. Conditions were brutal as the mid-day heat started to bore down on the participants towards the last two loops.

But Muar-born Aiman Rosli was mentally prepared for the situation and also the fact that he was a local meant he knew exactly when to attack.

It is the second gold medal for Aiman Rosli as he had won the men’s elite road time trial contest on Friday for a record sixth time.

“This (Pagoh) is where I had trained when I was growing up, so I knew this route quite well,” said Aiman Rosli, who finished third in the road race event last year.

“It was my intention to break away early because I knew the route here would get harder and harder as we progressed and it would also get hotter.

“What I had planned worked out well today and I got the podium finish I wanted.

“I’m grateful to get this win here and also appreciate what my teammates put in to make this happen,” he added.

Aiman Zariff, riding for TSG A, was content to finish second behind his teammate.

“Once Aiman Rosli attacked the breakaway group, I prepared myself for a sprint finish with the remaining riders in the group.

“I’m happy to come in second as it was very hot today and the rolling terrain was not easy.”

Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) trio Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah, Faiz Fakhri Omar and Ariff Danial Roseidi finished just off the podium in fourth, fifth and sixth.

Kedah’s Nurul Nabilah Mohd Asri, the younger sister of Olympian track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, continued her strong form this year by winning the women’s elite road race event in 3’23:41.

Intan Suraya Tokiman from Armed Forces and Khairunnisa Aleeya Saifulnizam from Johor settled for second and third in the sprint finish.

Nabilah had won silver in the women’s Under-23 road race at the Asian Championships in Thailand in February.