Those who follow track racing will already know Azizulhasni Awang, but his profile was increased and popularity raised beyond that base when he was involved in bad crash at the final round of the 2010-2011 World Cup in Manchester. Awang was one of several riders who hit the deck on the final lap of the Keirin. Chris Hoy had been leading from the front and thus stayed out of trouble, but there was chaos behind due to contact amongst those fighting for his wheel.
The riders dropped like bowling pins and were left lying on the wooden boards of the velodrome. Awang knew his World Cup title was at stake so he jumped to his feet and crossed the finish line in third. He then collapsed, with the camera images revealed that he had a skewer of a splinter through his calf muscle. He was operated on the next day, and is now recovering from the injury cause by the ten inch thorn.
Now 23 years of age, Awang has been racing at a high level for several years. The Malaysian rider won the Keirin event at the Melbourne round of the track World Cup in November 2008; he was then first in the Beijing round in 2009, the same year that he took the silver medal in the sprint race at the world championships in Pruszkow.
He was again second in the 2010 worlds, picking up the runner-up slot in the Keirin, and was third in the Commonwealth Games team sprint. Awang was first over the line in the Keirin at the latter competition, but was disqualified when the judges said he sprinted dangerously. The race winner, fellow Malaysian Josiah Ng, said afterwards that he considered that Awang’s ejection from the results wasn’t justified.
Following that disappointment, the push to take gold at the world track championships became even stronger. He was determined to reach the top step of the podium but his freak accident at the Manchester World Cup has ruled that out. It was announced last week that he would be forced to give this year’s worlds a miss. VeloNation has spoken to his Australian coach John Beasley about that that, about the rider’s character, and also about his future in the sport.
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VeloNation: How hard a decision has it been for Azizul to withdraw from the worlds?
John Beasley: It’s been a massive disappointment for him to miss the worlds as racing his bike is what he lives for. That said, with the injury he has, he would not have been able to train in the lead-up to worlds so the form would not be good. There’s no point in racing them. He is not allowed to train for 4 weeks so he’d only be starting to load his legs again by the time the worlds start, all things going well.
We are exercising him now…he is back doing light gym work and we are turning the legs over without any resistance at present.
VN: Had he not been injured, what did you believe was possible for him in the worlds?
JB: We were hoping to medal in the Keirin. I think his form was good enough to achieve that. This year has been quite solid…if you can remember back to the Commonwealth Games, he was first across the line only to have the race taken off him in one of the worst decisions I have seen in my time involved in cycling.
Then we had the Asian games soon after, where he won the Keirin. He struggled at the at the World Cup in Melbourne as we only just got back from the Asian games a couple of days prior to that. But he won the Keirin at the World Cup in Columbia, beating Pervis who is a very good Keirin rider.
VN: Crashing in the Manchester World Cup caused a serious injury, in terms of the track barb that went through his calf. He showed great strength of mind in finishing the race, considering the injury, and in doing so won the final Keirin competition for the World Cup. Many were impressed with that…how would you describe his character?
JB: This young man has exceptional courage and character. He weighs in at 65kg yet he can compete up there with the giants of our sport. He respects everyone, but fears no one! That’s his real strength, he just loves racing his bike. Whomever he comes up against knows they are going to have a real contest on their hands if they are to win.
VN: The London Olympic Games is taking place next year. What do you believe he can achieve there?
JB: I am his coach, so of course I believe I have a medalist at the Olympics next year in London. If you look at him at his best, he can take it up to anyone in the sprint or the keirin. He needs to be at his best in the sprint and he will be by the time of the Olympics. The Keirin is the event where he can win with just good form, it’s an event that suits him down to the ground.
It’s an event where he does not have to be in exceptional form to win as his speed is his asset and he has exceptional reflexes.
VN: He’s got a real flair as a competitor, and really gets the crowd going…
JB: Yes… This young man is a real racer and a real entertainer. They are an extremely rare commodity these days as in a lot of ways, the rules have made our sport un-entertaining due to the very strict adjudications of the rules at present. That suits a particular style of cyclist who are very good, strong powerful athletes that like space to be able to use their strength.
I believe if you are small in stature you should be given the same opportunity to perform on the world stage as the bigger athletes that race.
In stating this, I am in no way having a go. I’m merely pointing out facts that I feel people need to consider. Different parts of the world produce different body types, so why should a particular body type be rewarded over others? If the rules continue to go down this pathway, then lets draw the line in the sand and paint lanes on the track in events like the Keirin. That seams to be the way our sport is heading.
I say bring back the racer, the entertainer, that fearless warrior…this will ensure people come to watch the great sport of track cycling.