Cycling: TSG aiming to top Continental teams world ranking in 2023

By ARNAZ M. KHAIRUL

23 Jan 2023 01:19pm

The Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team is aiming to be the top ranked UCI Continental team in the world in 2023.

SHAH ALAM - With four UCI Asia Tour overall team titles already in their trophy cabinet, defending champions Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team (TSG) will be stepping up a notch this season, aiming for the number 1 spot in the UCI Continental teams ranking.

And that endeavour, said TSG sporting director Saiful Anuar Abdul Aziz, begins a double-header in the Middle East with the Tour of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Jan 27-31 and the Saudi Tour in Saudi Arabia on Jan 30- Feb 3.

"We've already established ourselves as one of the top teams in the UCI Asia Tour, so this year we have to aim higher. We want to finish this season as the top ranked UCI Continental Team in the world," said Saiful.

For the Tour of Sharjah, a UCI 2.2 event for six-rider teams, TSG will be led by Eritrean Metkel Eyob, with Ukrainian Anatoliy Budyak also aiming to start his season victories under his belt having won the Grand Prix Mediterranean, Grand Prix Gündoğmuş and Grand Prix Kayseri in Turkey last year.

They will be backed by Indonesia's Aiman Cahyadi and Malaysians Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan, Irwandie LAkasek and veteran Shahrul Mat Amin.

"For the Tour of Sharjah, our target is for Budyak to rank in the top three of the final general classification, while in the Saudi Tour, which features predominantly flat stages, we will target stage victories with Harrif Saleh," said Saiful.

In the Saudi Tour, Mongolian Jambaljambts Sainbayar will be aiming to add to his solitary UCI Asia Tour victory last season when he won the Tour of Thailand in December 2021. He will be accompanied by Algerian Youcef Regragui, new signing Jesse Ewart of Australia, Dutchman Jeroen Meijers, Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff, Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Marzuki and veteran sprinter Harrif.

Saiful said it was important to instill a focus on winning and registering as many classification points from each race the team enters this season, with a series of European Tour and Pro Series races also lined up to boost their chances of ranking points towards achieving the top UCI ranking target.

"In any race that we enter this year, our target is to win. Our Pro Series campaign will begin with the Oman Tour on Feb 10-15 and we hope to spring some surprises there with Harrif targetting the podium," he said, adding that the rider line-up for that race will be confirmed after the Sharjah and Saudi races.