Tua look to the young ones
29/12/2009, NST

IT will be a tough year ahead for Le Tua Cycling as they rebuild their team with the next line of young riders.

Coach Johari Nayan believes the team will continue to produce results as they look to 22-year-old Tour of Terengganu winner Hafiz Rozli and other youngsters.

"This year, we had to rely on old hands like Tonton Susanto and Jaan Kirsipuu to deliver results on the international stage," said Johari.

"We need to keep preparing the youngsters to take over and we won the Tour of Pahang with Razif Salleh and then the Tour of Terengganu with Hafiz."

Indonesian Tonton and his compatriot Samai Amari, winner of Stage Four in Le Tour de Langkawi this year, have left and signed for Iran's Azad University team.

This means the Le Tua team will focus more on the next wave of riders, led by Ng Yong Li, who at 25 is the most senior local rider in the squad.

Le Tua's riders in the past season included virtual unknowns like Ahmad Nawawi Anuawar, Adrian Chan, Lim Fhu Zhen and Hafiz Azeman, all of whom were blooded this year.

"We had lost four of our best riders this year in Anuar (Manan), Ahmad Haidar (Anuawar), Nor Ridzuan Zainal and Sayuti Zahit. We just did not have the financial strength to hold on to our best riders," said Johari.

"The youngsters weren't ready to be put into international races, so we picked races in which to combine the youngsters with senior riders. Slowly, they are showing that they are ready."

"We will keep identifying talent and groom them to keep the flow of new riders coming."

Former mountain biker Hafiz is already in the plans for the programme for Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) in February, with seniors Ng Yong Li and Razif ikely to be part of the team.

"We have not yet finalised the team for LTdL, but we will be starting to build towards that race swiftly."

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