THOUGH the long term targets are set high, coach Harnizam Basri isn’t worried that the national track endurance elite programme will have to start from scratch all over again with a more strategic plan which will only begin to see results in 2017.
While the elite sprints squad are closing the gap to the top guns on the world stage, with Josiah Ng, Fatehah Mustapa and Jupha Somnet preparing for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cali, Colombia on Jan 17-18, Harnizam believes his charges in the endurance events need to be built from the basics.
“In order to bridge that gap, we have to start building the riders block by block," said Harnizam.
The new-look squad will see the likes of 19-year olds Afiq Huznie Othman, Mohd Zawawi Azman, Akmal Hakim Zakaria, Mohd Fairet Rusli and Ahmad Muazzam Iman Mustaffa Kamal being brought in from the junior squad, joining youngsters Asyraf Naim Ying and Farid Razali.
Established seniors Amir Mustafa Rusli, Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkifle and Sofian Nabil Omar Bakri will lead the 10-man squad who will begin their test under the revamped programme in the Asian Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand in February.
Harnizam said the group will be kept together under contract as part of the NSC Cycling Team, which will operate as a UCI Continental Team next year.
“For track endurance events, we need the riders to be stronger and the level now is nowhere near what is required. So, from next year we will send them out to UCI Asia Tour races. They need long stage races to develop their endurance and to be better conditioned for endurance track events,” said Harnizam.
"Also, the whole of next year, if we focus solely on track events, there are just seven meets on the calendar throughout Asia. This won't be enough. So, I am not afraid of starting from scratch with a short term plan for 2017 and then look at what we can achieve beyond that.
"We want to raise the level and be able to qualify for the World Cup, but to get there, 2017 would be a reasonable target."
The squad are already in the midst of preparation for the Asian Championships, with a month-long training camp in Chiangmai, Thailand planned for next month.