Giant looking for late replacement

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.