MALAYSIA- Road cyclist Harrif Saleh admitted that he struggled to keep up with the peloton early on but revealed the “secret” behind his historic win at the Grand Prix Manavgat in Turkey last week.

After spending a year without competition due to Covid-19, the Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) rider said he found it hard to keep up with the early pace and even suffered mild cramps during the 145.8km race.

“This was really tough for me as I had gone a year without racing. I did my best to tuck into (the draft in) the group and hang on.

Harrif, who has 18 wins to his name including three at LTdL, is considered to be the greatest road sprinter Malaysia has produced. TSG also won the GP Velo Alanya through Colombian all-rounder Carlos Quintero last week.

The TSG squad are also undergoing a training camp in Alanya in between the races.