Time trial ace Aiman eyes Sea Games breakthrough
KUALA LUMPUR: Nur Aiman Rosli has set his sights on winning Sea Games gold after enjoying his best-ever outing at the National Road Cycling Championships which concluded in Johor yesterday (June 1).
Muar-born Aiman achieved a prestigious double-gold feat in Pagoh, winning both the men's individual time trial for a sixth time as well as clinching his breakthrough victory in the road race.
"Winning in my hometown, on the roads I grew up riding definitely meant a lot to me," said Aiman when contacted today (June 2).
"I had come close to winning the road race a number of times previously and was finally able to do it this year."
Aiman has gone from strength to strength since joining Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) at the end of the 2023 season.
He finished fourth in the Asian Championships road race in Almaty, Kazakhstan last year and has placed in the top-10 in the individual time trial at the Asian meet for the last two years.
The 26-year-old is now hoping to achieve a breakthrough victory at the Thailand Sea Games in December.
"For the Sea Games, my target is to win gold in either the time trial or road race. I had won bronze previously (Hanoi 2021), so in my third appearance at the games I want to win gold.
"For the time trial, I believe Thailand's Peerapol Chawchiangkwang will again be one of the favourites while Indonesia's Aiman Cahyadi will also be right up there.
"Peerapol is the defending champion and he will also have home ground advantage. Aiman has won it before and is very experienced.
"I was the second fastest Southeast Asian rider (behind Peerapol) at the Asian Championships (Thailand, Feb), which gives me a good baseline to work on.
"I've been told the time trial route is relatively flat which should give me a chance to fight for the gold. I will definitely give it my best."
Peerapol won the individual time trial gold when the discipline was last included at the 2021 Hanoi Sea Games - held in 2022 due to Covid-19 - when Aiman placed third.
Aiman Cahyadi won the individual time trial gold during the 2019 Manila edition.
Malaysia has won the road race gold at the last two editions of the games through Nur Aiman Zariff (Hanoi 2021) and Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Phnom Penh 2023). The duo are both Aiman's teammates at TSG.
Aiman Rosli and the TSG squad immediately left for South Korea after the conclusion of the national championships yesterday. They are competing in the Tour of Gyeongnam (June 4-8) this week.
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