Cycling coaches instructed to do route pre-inspections

National Sports Council (MSN) director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong has instructed state cycling coaches who intend to carry out training in high risk areas like roads to do route pre-inspections with immediate effect.

He said this was important to ensure the safety of their charges.

"Cycling sports like road racing cannot avoid using public facilities (roads) in view of the fact we (NSC) cannot provide dedicated roads for this," he told reporters after attending the opening of the 62nd Gurdwara Cup and Sikh Sports Festival 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday.

The events were opened by Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Zolkples issued the instruction in the wake of the tragedy which befell Terengganu cyclist Mohd Shafiq Imran Syahril, 15, who was killed after being run over by a lorry while on a training run in Kuala Terengganu on Wednesday.

He said Mohd Shafiq's family were eligible for insurance compensation over the loss of their son.

On the suggestion by Malaysian National Cycling Federation deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad on Wednesday that the services of traffic marshalls be enlisted for the safety of road cyclists, he said it was a good idea but needed to be looked at more closely as it involved a huge expenditure.

In March last year, Le Tua club rider, Rafizi Hamdan, 37, died after being hit by a car whike cycling along the Middle Ring Road II in Kuala Lumpur.

In January last year, four national cyclists, Mariana Mohamad, Masziyaton Mohd Radzi, Mohd Azri Ahmad and Mohd Aziz Zahit were injured after being hit by a car in Putrajaya.