Giant looking for late replacement
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Giant Asia Racing Team of Taiwan was caught one rider short of the minimum four required for the Dji Sam Soe Tour d'Indonesia after the abrupt withdrawal of Ahad Kazemi Sarai here on Saturday.
The first race in the 10-day, 1,503 k.m. series from Jakarta to Bali starts on Monday and Giant ART is scrambling for a replacement for the Iranian rider, who withdrew because of a family emergency.
"He has just left for the airport," team manager Qiu Jijin said at the Twin Plaza Hotel, the team's residence, when asked about Kazemi's departure.
Without Kazemi, the team has only Ghader Mizbani Iranagh of Iran, Edmunds John Holland of Australia and Taiwanese rider Lai Kuan Hua.
With an international replacement unlikely, Giant is looking at an Indonesian as the fourth member.
"We will talk with the organizing committee and the international commissaire," Qiu said. The international commissaire is a representative of the world's cycling governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which has the task of supervising the tour.
"We can use a rider from a trade team that is not competing in the current tour," he said.
The loss of Kazemi has further weakened Giant, which had already been plagued with earlier withdrawals from riders, its team dropping from an initial seven.
Glen Chadwick, David McCann and Chen Tsun-Kuei had been on the initial list to come to Indonesia.
"Chadwick has opted to make a fitness recovery. McCann has been called up by his nation (Ireland) for the World Championship," Qiu said. The event will be staged in Verona, Italy, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3.
With only four riders -- if Giant's chase for the replacement succeeds -- the team could abandon competing for the overall championship in the team category and strive instead for individual laurels.
However, Qiu refused to lie down, saying the team would face up to its tough task.
"Even if we were (only) three we would push as hard as possible," said the Indonesian-born Chinese manager, who said he was familiar with the routes having been on the scene as an official during the 1991 and 1997 races.
The team's hopes for an individual championship will rest on Ghader Mizbani, who was crowned King of the Mountain at the Tour de Qinghai Lake in China in July.
Another favorite will be Wong Kam-Po. The Hong Kong Team's ace rider is still reveling in his victory at the Tour de Hokkaido last week.
The Tour d'Indonesia will incorporate nine stages with Madiun the Surabaya stage providing the longest distance of 234 kilometers.
Seven of 17 teams come from six foreign countries: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines and Thailand.
However, the makeup of the teams was still not fixed on Saturday. "They can change the lineup until tomorrow (Sunday) at 3 p.m. when we have a technical meeting," Yosef Lomena, a tour official, told The Jakarta Post.
The tour kicks off with a welcoming parade on Sunday. Starting from the Twin Plaza Hotel at 7 a.m., tour riders and supporters will proceed down the main roads of the city before finishing at the Senayan sports complex.
The parade will pause for 15 minutes outside the Australian Embassy to pay homage to the victims of the Sept. 9 bombing.