Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia’s national road cyclist Nur Aiman Rosli finished in a commendable fourth place in the elite road race category at the Asian Road Cycling Championships held in Almaty, Kazakhstan today.
The 151km race concluded with a nail-biting bunch sprint finish, with Aiman narrowly edged out of a podium position by Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Fedorov.
South Korea’s Kim Eu-ro clinched the gold medal with an impressive time of 3hr 21min and 46sec.
China’s Lyu Xianjing took the silver, while Fedorov’s last-second surge secured him the bronze, leaving Aiman in fourth place by mere centimetres.
“It was a bittersweet result for me,” said Aiman, reflecting on his near-podium finish.
“I am grateful to finish fourth as this was my first time competing in this event (road race) at the Asian Championships. But I cannot be content.
“I will continue to work hard and aim to do better in this race next season. Hopefully, I can finish on the podium next time.”
Aiman’s performance was backed by strong support from his teammates Nur Aiman Zariff, Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki, Zawawi Azman, and Akmal Hakim Zakaria.
Their combined efforts helped him stay in contention throughout the gruelling race.
Aiman also expressed his gratitude towards his supporters and team.
“I want to thank all Malaysians who have supported me as well as my team, Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG).”
Earlier in the week, Aiman demonstrated his versatility by securing a ninth-place finish in the men’s individual time trial (40km) in Almaty.
He completed the race 4min and 32sec behind the winner, Yevgeniy Fedorov, who took the gold with a time of 49min and 46sec.
Fedorov’s compatriot Dmitry Gruzdev claimed the silver, and Japan’s Yukiya Arashiro rounded out the podium. – June 15, 2024