Off they went. Thanks to those who believe.

There they were, Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi (second from right) and Anuar Manan (third from right), leaving for Varese, Italy for the Under-23 World Championships on Thursday night, thanks to the guy at the top, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz.
Thankfully, Datuk Astaman realised what bullshit was happening and didn't hesitate to fork out his own money to send a Malaysian team to Italy!!
The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) had run out of funds and could not afford to send the team to Italy, despite the national qualified to send five riders based on the UCI Asia Tour nations ranking which has Malaysia second behind Iran. Anuar, Ahmad Haidar Anuawar and Nor Ridzuan Zainal were the top three ranked Malaysians. Of course, all three were Le Tua riders and had nothing to do with MNCF or the National Sports Council.
Suddenly, the usual stuff you here from the big failures in MNCF and NSC, the usual story that our riders are not prepared and not ready for the top level of competition. Okay, we took that 10 years ago and now we keep on asking the idiots who utter those words, "When the fuck will we be ready?!!!"
You can't possibly require 50 years and still not be ready for anything other than trips to Indonesia, Thailand or at the most Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Okay, chances of Malaysians winning a World Championships gold, are really, really far fetched. So, if we qualify for the World Championships, we don't go because we can't win? If that was the case, sending 32 athletes to the Olympics was a total waste. We should have just sent LEe Chong Wei, along with his coach Misbun Sidek and a masseur. That would have been enough!!
We have idiots advising idiots and end up with bullshit in Malaysian cycling. This has been going on for far too long.
I am going to state my case right here:

1. Before 2005, no one in the NSC or MNCF believed Malaysians were good enough to become professional riders in Europe. About a little more than RM60,000 was spent and Ng Yong Li signed with Portuguese team Vitoria ASC in 2007, to become Malaysia's first professional rider. You must note, that Yong Li has never been part of any programme under the NSC and was self-funded by his family and friends.

2. The NSC spends millions (and there is proof of this) a year on bicycle equipment, kits for riders and so on. We don't want ot argue with who supplies the stuff, let that be. It is common knowledge that in 2007 the MNCF were given a RM2.3 million grant by the Sports Ministry, which is to be 'managed' by the NSC. Ask around and you will find that that kitty has been emptied. Its okay if they emptied it, but for what results? Have you seen the national team or the MCF Cycling Team, which was formed with track riders out of the budget for that, delivering any wins on the international stage over the past year? NO!!!
The victories came from Anuar and Ahmad Haidar Anuawar, who ride for the Le Tua team, and most recently in the Tour of Thailand, through Trek-Marco Polo rider Loh Sea Keong. Le Tua operates on a budget of less than RM80,000!!! Ah Keong is an amateur signed as a development rider with the Chinese team. Compare RM2.3 million with RM80,000!!!!!!

3. As you know and have grown accustomed to, the root of the problem is in the minds of those running the road cycling programme in MNCF and NSC. Of course, everybody knows, road development is 20 times more difficult than to achieve success on track, but can't we do it? It is proven, that with team's like Le Tua and all privately run initiatives, real cycling people, those who have a heart for the sport and do it mainly for the love, are achieving far more than the 'professionals' in NSC. The results are mindbogglingly clear!!

I would also like to quote a very long serving coach's previous statements in meetings, when requests for NSC funding for Ng Yong Li were made.
"Ini rider tak boleh pakai punya. Tadak guna punya." Can you check the overall result of Le Tour de Langkawi last year and the year before??? Tak boleh pakai? Well, his riders seem to always be preparing, doing foundation work, etc.. While taxpayers continue to pay the price.
Apparently, he is the unparalleled cycling expert within NSC ranks. Everything goes through him. Pheww!! Good luck NSC.