Fadhil tops time trial world ranking, Azizulhasni loses sprint lead

KUALA LUMPUR: National track cyclist Muhammad Fadhil Mohd Zonis is now leading in the world men's elite time trial ranking, released by the International Cycling Union (UCI), yesterday.

The 24-year-old Sime Darby Foundation rider ranked first with 1,762.50 points, a four-rung climb after gaining 720 points for winning the 1km Time Trial event silver medal at the UCI Nations Cup held at the Hong Kong Velodrome, last weekend.

Muhammad Fadhli is also the 1km Time Trial national and Asian record holder after clocking 1:00.305s at the Berlin World Championships last year.

While compatriot Muhammad Ridwan Shahrom ended the race in fourth in Hong Kong, Malaysia's national ranking improved 13 places to seventh rank with 1,412.50 points, according to the updates published in the UCI website, www.uci.org.

Muhammad Ridwan, however was placed 25th with 600 points in the individual rankings.

Meanwhile, Olympics gold-hopeful Mohd Azizulhasni Awang lost his lead in the men's sprint event ranking as three Japanese riders overtook him.

The 33-year-old, who did not participate in the Nations Cup, has been pushed to the fourth place with 1,300 points, behind Japanese riders Tomohiro Fukaya (1,632.5), Yudai Nitta (1,405) and Yuta Wakimoto (1,335).

Mohd Azizulhasni's fellow Melbourne-based rider Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom fell five rungs to the 20th place with 792.5 points, while Muhammad Fadhil clawed up as many as 81 rungs to be placed 25th with 756 points.

In the keirin event, Mohd Azizulhasni was down two rungs to be placed fifth with 1,240 points, while Mohd Fadhil climbed 172 places to place himself close to world's top 10, ranked 11th with 890 points.

Apart from that, women's cyclist Anis Amira Rosidi also showed good progress in the latest ranking.

Anis Amira, who bagged women's 500m Time Trial bronze at Hong Kong, improved 108 places in the event to be placed 11th with 720 points.

The 23-year-old also climbed up 37 rungs in the keirin event to be placed 35th after accumulating 549 points and garnered the 40th rank in sprint with 573 points after rising 32 places.

-- BERNAMA