National cyclists to train in Australia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An 18-strong national cycling team wants to fill
\nthe shoes of the Australian junior champions and win more gold
\nmedals during the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Chiang Mai,
\nThailand in December.<\/p>\n
Technical Director of the Indonesian Sport Cycling Association
\n(ISSI), Didi Soedijanto, said here yesterday that the national
\nteam would undergo a three-month training stint under Shyne
\nBannan, the coach who led the Australian squad to six gold medals
\nin the recent world junior championships.<\/p>\n
Bannan is also coaching the Australian team for the Olympic
\nGames.<\/p>\n
The overseas stint will start early in September, but ISSI has
\nyet to ratify the line-up of the team. ISSI has already picked 18
\nout of 29 men's and women's cyclists to form the backbones of the
\nnational team for the 18th SEA Games from Dec. 9 to 17.<\/p>\n
\"Only Nurochman, Andry Sudrajat, Muhamad Nur and female
\ncyclist Nurhayati are assured of places on the team so far,\" Didi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The cyclists will not take a break at home after their
\nAustralian outing. Instead, they will directly fly to Chiang Mai
\nafter completing their training program. The SEA Games cycling
\ncompetitions are scheduled to start on Dec. 6.<\/p>\n
National coach Puspita Mustika Adya said his team should have
\na better chance to win six golds from the women's 3,000m
\nindividual pursuit, women's 3km road race, men's sprint, men's
\n4,000m pursuit, men's 1,000m individual time track and men's
\n100km team trial track.<\/p>\n
Puspita, formerly a national ace cyclist, complained that the
\n18th SEA Games Organizing Committee had passed a ruling which
\nprohibits a cyclist to compete in both track and road race
\nevents.<\/p>\n
\"The ruling has no legal basis. It will play havoc with our
\ngold medal chances, mainly in the women's competitions,\" Puspita
\nsaid. He added that Nurhayati, the only one to give Indonesia a
\ncycling gold medal in the last SEA Games in 1993, is expected to
\nshine in the two events.<\/p>\n
\"We are looking forward to hearing from the International
\nCycling Union over the unpopular ruling,\" Puspita said.<\/p>\n
Nurhayati has expressed her intention to focus on her favorite
\nroad races. (amd)<\/p>",
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