KUALA LUMPUR: Huge question marks linger over the inaugural Tour of Sarawak cycling event scheduled to begin on Wednesday with a no-show by the organisers escalating the furore of teams who began arriving in Miri this morning.
With no welcoming party to provide assistance at the airport, teams had to find their own way to designated hotels only to find rooms had not been paid for, leaving a number of teams in a limbo.
Former national cyclist Ng Yong Li, who is assisting the Lampre Singapore team, said they had to fork out the deposit for their rooms at the official hotel upon arrival, with calls to representatives of organisers Fadz Industries proving futile.
"We had no contact and no representatives of the organisers were here. We really don't know what is going on. The Australian team St George-Merida also suffered the same fate. They had arrived at the airport and had to find their own way to the hotel and paid for it themselves too," said Yong Li, when contacted.
Police cycling team manager Manjit Singh said they had contacted a staff of the organisation, who said one of their representatives is on the way to Miri, but as of 2pm had not arrived with most of the teams scheduled to start the race on Wednesday already in Miri.
"Maybe we have to give them some time, but as of now, we found out that the technical team, the commissaires are also still in Kuala Lumpur, without flight tickets. So, without the officials, we don't know how the race is going to run. Let's just see if they can sort it out by this evening," said Manjit.
The chaos surrounding the Tour of Sarawak surfaced last night when some crew members reported they had been given copies of flight bookings only to find that their flights had yet to be paid for by the organisers, upon arrival to board their 'scheduled' flights to Kuching.
Efforts to contact Tour of Sarawak project director Mohd Fadzli Mat Yusof came to no avail as the number stated on his business card was not in service.
Sarawak's Team Corbusier director Safri Mohammed seemed resigned to the race not happening, as he offered a suggestion for damage control.
"Since they may not be able to organise the Tour of Sarawak, but with all teams already in Miri, they might as well offer a shortened alternative. Let the teams race until Sibu over two stages and be done with it. This would be damage control both politically and financially," said a bemused Safri, when contacted.
Team Corbusier had their preparations for the 2016 season geared towards the Tour of Sarawak, which would be the first ever International Cycling Union (UCI) sanctioned stage race held in the state. The Tour of Sarawak is the first 2.2 status UCI Asia Tour calendar event held in the state.
Thus Team Corbusier had signed South African, Australian and Filipino riders to beef up their challenge, all of whom had arrived yesterday for their first race with the team.
Representatives of the organisers were seen at a Team Corbusier press conference in Kuching yesterday, allegedly pleading with Sarawak assistant minister of youth development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for a last-minute bail-out from the state government.
The Tour of Sarawak was scheduled to start on Wednesday in Miri, covering five stages before its end in Kuching on Sunday.
"For our riders, arrangements have been made. But it is the others who we are concerned about. Since prior arrangements must have been made with the local authorities, who would provide the logistics at start and finish venues along the way, the organisers should maybe look at this suggestion," said Safri.
"Some teams may not agree, but I believe a substantial number of teams would agree to a shortened race over two or three stages, not having to move and be based in Miri. They (the organisers) just have to maintain their earlier arrangements with the local councils and police to carry it out. These arrangements won't cost too much.
"Worst case scenario, just hold a two-day event in Miri. Again, this is just a suggestion for damage control, not a solution."