PETALING JAYA: Terengganu Cycling Team made themselves visible in the just concluded Tour of Singkarak in Indonesia with a 1-2 finish in the final stage on Sunday.

Mohd Zamri Salleh and brother Mohd Harrif grabbed the top two podium spots in what was the team’s only win after Mohd Saufi Mat Senan came close with two third-place finishes in Stage Three and Four.

Saufi came a cropper in the general classification (GC) after running out of gas in Stage Five to finish the seven-day tour in 17th spot, 10:15 behind winner Oscar Pujol Munoz of Azad University Cross.

“I tried to break away from the group in the first stage, but none of my moves succeeded. Then in the next three stages, I tried hard to break again to gain some time bonuses.

“I was close to being in the top 10 in GC after Stage Four but the next stage proved to be the hardest of the tour. I lost a lot of time in Stage Five and also my chance to be in the top-10,” said Saufi.

The Tour was also an important indicator for London Olympic hopeful Harrif and his brother Zamri, as they managed to overcome the torturous climb offered by the Indonesia landscape.

In last year’s edition, Harrif finished outside of the time limit in Stage Five as he was still searching for his climbing legs.

The 250km road race in London will have riders climbing up Box Hill nine times, a key point for the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) in their selection of riders.

Malaysia qualified for two Olympic spots on merit, a feat last achieved in 1972. Among the front-runners are Harrif and Mohd Adiq Husainie Othman (Champion System).

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