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.