Paris 2024: Track Cycling Team Ready To Leave Mallorca For Heat Of Battle 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- The national track cycling team are nearing the end of their training camp in Mallorca, Spain, before heading to Paris to start their challenge at the Olympic Games.

National track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang said that the team, which also consists of Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, today underwent their penultimate training session at the Velodrome Illes Balears.

"Today’s session was the second-to-last in Mallorca, and after the last, we will fly to Paris and get ready for our race, which will start on Aug 7," said the 2017 keirin world champion, nicknamed “The Pocket Rocketman,” in a video on his Instagram.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medallist in keirin called on all Malaysians to pray for his success as well as for the national track cycling team, who are scheduled to begin their campaign at the Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on Aug 7.

"I hope all Malaysians can pray for my success and also for the entire Malaysian track cycling team, insya-Allah, Malaysia Boleh!" said the 36-year-old, who will be making his fifth Olympic appearance.

In Paris, Muhammad Shah will make his second Olympic appearance, while the dream has come true for Nurul Izzah, who will make her debut at the biggest sporting event on the planet after winning gold in the keirin and 500 metres (m) time trial at the 2024 Asian Track Cycling Championships.

The team are scheduled to depart for Paris on Thursday and all three of them will compete in the individual sprint and keirin events.

Meanwhile, in the video uploaded by Mohd Azizulhasni, he looked comfortable riding the high-tech WX-R Vorteq bike, which will be used by the trio in Paris.

WX-R Vorteq bikes were specially flown from the United Kingdom to Mallorca about two weeks ago for use during their training sessions there.

-- BERNAMA