Cyclists set out on specialized routes

Cyclists set out on specialized routes

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Cycling Association (ISSI), likening the
competition in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to a "war",
recently scouted out the course for November's competition.

Training routes have been altered in accordance with the
proposed course in Manila, with the knowledge expected to boost
the cyclists' confidence in the battle for medals.

"SEA Games is like a war," SEA Games cycling team head coach
Wahyudi Hidayat said recently. "We must know the situation where
we will go to war. If we have no information, we will be left one
step behind others."

Wahyudi said ISSI secretary-general Sofian Ruzian found the
women's road race would cover a distance of 100.9 kilometers
instead of 70 kms.

"From about 40 kms before the finish line, the route is
similar to the Subang-Kawah route (in West Java)," he said.

In the women's 30 km and men's 40 km Individual Time Trial
(ITT), the route was almost the same as the Cianjur-Gegbrong or
Purwakarta-Wanayasa routes, he added.

In the men's 178 km road race, the first 138 km was similar to
conditions along Subang-Pemanukan-Sumedang-Subang, and the last
40 km would be relatively similar to the Subang-Kawah route, he
said.

"We are changing our practice route starting next week based
on this observation," said Wahyudi, whose is nursing a broken
right hand after he collided with a motorcycle in training last
week.

Twenty-eight cyclists are in training for the Games, with a
target of five golds, one more than was collected in Vietnam in
2003.

Major names like veteran men's cyclist Tonton Suprapto, 2003
SEA Games women's silver medalist Uyun Muzizah and Olympian and
2003 SEA Games gold medalist Santia Tri Kusuma are on the squad.

However, the quest for medals may be especially tough this
year, with the host squad preparing well for the competition and
eying eight golds in 12 divisions. Other top contenders will be
Malaysia and Thailand.

Tonton, who is reported to have tested positive for ephedrine
at June's Qing Hai Lake Tour, continues to practice with the team
because there has been no ruling from the international cycling
body.

"So it is better to let Tonton practice just in case he is
still allowed to compete in the SEA Games," Wahyudi said of the
32 year old, who was stripped of gold at the 1997 SEA Games after
testing positive for a banned stimulant.