PETALING JAYA – National woman cyclist Nur Aisyah Mohamad Zubir is determined to learn as much as she can from world-class riders during her stint in Belgium as she gears up for the Paris Olympics in July.
The 27-year-old road racing cyclist intends to watch and learn from some of the continent’s top riders when she competes in 20 races in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
“At the very least, I want to learn from these world-class riders because everyone has her own capabilities. For example, (I want to learn) things like how they use their strength and power, tactics on tackling climbs, speed adjustments and so on.
“Over there, I will also be participating in some races to acclimatise to the weather, the routes and wind conditions… I want to know all that,” she said during a gathering between Paris 2024 chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and the athletes here today.
Earlier, the gathering was also attended by Road to Gold programme coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam as well as national athletes like Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy (sailing), Mohamad Aniq Kasdan (weightlifting) and Johnathan Wong (shooting).
Nur Aisyah also admitted that she would have to be wise in caring for herself in Belgium and at the Paris Olympics since she is Malaysia’s only cycling representative in women’s road racing.
“This will be my first time riding on my own, some countries have up to six riders. So, I have to be careful. The target is to complete the races,” she said.
Nur Aisyah will leave for Belgium tomorrow with her coach Amir Mustafa Rosli, where she will stay until the Paris Olympics, which will take place from July 26 to August 11. – May 27, 2024