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Sure, Malaysians don't have a good record in this event and there are questions whether our riders could even arrive at the finish line of the 250km road race that covers nine laps on a circuit that includes a tough Box Hill climb.
The best that Malaysians have done before is qualifying for six out of the seven Under-23 World Championships road races with just one finisher — Ng Yong Li in Madrid in 2005.
AdiqHusainiecameclosetoimproving that record in Geelong, Australia last year and was set for a top 10 finish when he crashed.
A year has since passed, and Adiq Husainie's meteoric rise is evident when he signed with China's UCI ProfessionalContinentalteam, Champion System, after spending two years with Australia's Drapac Pro Cycling. He has begun making inroads towards establishing himself as a prominent rider in Europe, having achieved several top 10 finishes in pro races in the United States.
Adiq Husainie is touted by head coach John Beasley as Malaysia's best bet to be a Grand Tour rider and he has already set his sights on the Tour de France by 2015.
The same goes for 25-year-old Amir Mustafa, who is with Drapac Pro Cycling and is also the first ever Olympian from that team. He is determined for a good run in the Olympics, but is aware of the magnitude of the task that awaits at Box Hill.
But the possibility of not finishing the race has never crossedthemindsofthetwo riders. They only think about crossing the finish line.
"We'll prepare well and personally I have an idea of what I need to do. For sure it is going to be tough. My aim is to stay in the front of the race and then look to do something special," said Adiq Husainie.
"I think my fitness is up to the mark, but having raced in Europe, I now know that the key to finishing a tough long race like this is mental strength. That is my focus in the build-up.
"I'm entering races which are similarly tough if not tougher in Belgium, so that I can tune my mind for that task.
"At the same time, it is about staying out of trouble in the coming weeks. I don't want to take risks and injure myself before London," said Adiq Husainie.
If racing in Europe is what it takes to tune up well for London, then Amir Mustafahasalreadyspentfourmonths racing there when based in Belgium with the Drapac Cycling team before joining Adiq Husainie and the track squad for a month-long pre-Olympic camp there.
But Amir Mustafa has his feet firmly on the ground, realising what this Olympic qualification means, stating his pride in being part of a groundbreaking duo that will hopefully be signs of good things to come for road cycling in the country, which has long lived in the shadows of the successful track programme.
"I was so relieved to find out that I have made the squad. Now it is about doing the nation proud. I know it is going to be difficult, so my task there is to work with Adiq Husainie to get to the finish. To just finish the race would be an achievement for us," said Amir Mustafa.
"I've been studying the course, looking up everything on the Internet. We will have to stay with the front group and fight to stay with them when we climb Box Hill, then we can look at how we can finish the race." Though not much hope is placed on the duo to achieve a good result, their remarkable presence there already marks a step forward for the Malaysian National Cycling Federation, which is banking on this achievement to ignite road cycling in the country.
• Name: Amir Mustafa Rusli
• Date of birth: Feb 5, 1987
• Place of birth: Dungun, Terengganu
• Achievements: Team pursuit and individual pursuit gold medals in 2007 Korat Sea Games, third in general classification and winner of the Malaysian riders' classification in 2010 Jelajah Malaysia; Signed as a professional with Australia's Drapac Pro Cycling in 2011
• London expectations: Help Adiq Husainie get a good position and to finish the race
• Competition dates: July 28
• Name: Adiq Husainie Othman
• Date of birth: April 29, 1991
• Place of birth: Kemaman, Terengganu
• Achievements: Scratch race bronze medal in 2009 UCI Track Junior World Championships; Individual time trial bronze medal in 2008 Asian Junior Championships in Nara, Japan; Silver medal in road race in 2009 Asian Championships in Tanggerang, Indonesia; silver medal in 2012 Putrajaya Under-23 Championships
• London expectations: Finishing the race among the front group
Read more: CYCLING: Taking the high road - Racing - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/racing/cycling-taking-the-high-road-1.108718#ixzz20qSvDX3A
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