(written by Asymm Project)
With 60% of the world’s population coming from Asia, we could expect some of the best riders to come from China or India. However, Europe has historically dominated the OCM world, though this has been changing recently with many great riders from the rest of the world doing well. We at Asymm Project have been trying to figure out how cycling is developing in Asia and whether the next Anderberg or Marquez will come from the Orient or the Middle East.
Asian Cycling: Nothing to fear?
The rankings suggest we have nothing to fear from Asia. The whole Asian continent represents only a tiny 4% of the ranked teams in the OCM, with Malaysia at the top with 12. The highest ranked Asian team is Burning Bushes from Tajikistan riding (with a team composed of all but one rider from Asia) just outside the Zyte Division. Then we find Agis from China in Division 3, and three teams in Division 4: Godzilla (Japan), threshold1985 (Turkmenistan) and Asymm Project (Malaysia).
“Nothing to fear”, the Division 1 teams are saying… but maybe their minds will change with just a few names: Yamauchi, Astapkovich, Qutaiba, Hashim, Abdel and one of the best sprinter in the OCM? Nicodemus Balanchine, from Armenia, Asia. One of the best SARS in the OCM? Salim Wajeeh, from Syria, Asia. Current ITT World Champion? Ibrahim Youssef, from Qatar, Asia. Winner of the “Best young rider of season 14” award? Susumu Miyazaki, from Japan, Asia.
We do not only have big names. There are quite a lot of young gems in our vast lands. Asian Cycling Association voted hiller Mitrofan Bazhukov (Turkmenistan) “Most promising Asian rider of Season 14”. He was a trainee for Equipo Easy On, and now is developing his potentials with tundra. Also, recently Zyte Division’s Equipe 44 has | | grabbed Malaysian cobbler Kaliapan Abdullah. Toni, manager of the team, referred to his potentials as “being enough to win Tweedaagse van Antwerpen”. A third gem we could mention is Lavrentiy Rokhlin from Kazakhstan, who finally left Telek@m for Torreira. He is only 21, but manager itisix has already started his training.
The conflict: Big riders and small teams
From Turkmenistan to Switzerland (Bazhukov), from Malaysia to San Marino (Abdullah), from Kazakhstan to Portugal (Rokhlin) the main problem of Asian cycling has always been talent train. Flying to Europe is lucrative - mega wages, parties, German beer, kissing nice girls on the podium and of course the competitive races. During the last decade, cycling fever has expanded through Asia, but dictatorial governments, poor road conditions, or simply a lack of money from the Cycling Federations has meant some great riders have had to leave to further their careers. There are a lot of guys that made the trip early on his life, among them Salim Wajeeh (Syria) or Riyad Hashim (Iraq), leaving families in hard times to follow a dream. A bit happier was the way “Susu” Miyazaki left Japan to try his luck in Netherlands, as we could read here on the front page.
But one recent signing has broken the trend and could be a sign of Asia’s cycling growth. It’s our new acquisition Safiq Rahim - a Malaysian rider who had options in the Youth Competition in last season’s Volta ao Porto but got injured in the first stage. With him, we are going to start fighting for our main objective: developing Asian cycling in Asia. In order to avoid long trips from Malaysia to the races, the team has been based in Bergamo, Italy since out inception. But at the start of the next season we will have two training installations: one in Port Dickson (Malaysia), near the team’s headquarters, and another in
| | Turkmenistan, though we are still negotiating with local authorities. If the deal moves in the correct direction, Chinese and South Korean governments could also be contributing to the Project.
We really believe in Asia's potential. Many riders have shown great potential when they were able to train properly but previously they needed to do so in Europe. Now we aim to provide them with the infrastructure to develop their potential on home turf.
The future
Historically, Europe has dominated the OCM World, but they know that this dominance is going to end. Asia is catching up, as are other regions, and new cycling countries are appearing in OCM. The past was European. The present is European Teams with Asian riders. The future will include Asian Teams too.
Facts and figures:
Number of Asian Teams in the rankings: 49
Highest Ranked Team: Burning Bushes (Tajikistan)
Highest Ranked Riders:
1. Nicodemus Balanchine (Gradient Levellers) – 1500 points – 3rd in OCM
2. Susumu Miyazaki – Hommerts Cycling Team – 1028 points – 15th
3. Gamali Khalid (Temora Tornadoes) – 940 points – 26th
4. Salim Wajeeh (Equipe 44) – 938 points – 27th
5. Stepan Grosheva (Burning Bushes) – 750 – 66th
|