ETD - 7:30 PM MPKJ, Kajang
ETA - 8:00 PM UKM Stadium
ETA - 8:00 PM UKM Stadium
Cyclists end 4,547km tour after riding into record books.
After a month of arduous cross country cycling, duo Abdul Khalib Zakaria and Mohd Aswad Zainal finally completed their tour. Both men will earn a name in the Malaysian Book of Records for having successfully cycled across the country in a month, traversing across Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Brunei and finally Sabah.
Under the auspices of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), they underwent four years’ worth of intensive training from the patron of the project, Dato Hasan Nawawi, who himself was a globe trotter, before setting off on the challenge last Feb 14. * In 2001, Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abd Rahman, covered 26,565 km in 389 days during his cycling expedition around the world.
Their achievement erases the 2,709 kilometre record set by Abu Samad Hj .Yusuf, who had not included Brunei in his cycling tour. Completing the tour will be a morale booster for Abdul Khalib and Mohd Aswad to attempt a similar record cycling around China this May & the globe God willing, in 2010. This record-breaking project is part of our efforts as well to strike interest in cycling.
The greatest challenges for the cyclists was travelling across the interior parts of Sarawak which involved rough terrain, logging roads, gravel roads and steep mountain routes. Their best experience was sleeping in the forest area of Kalabakan, Sabah, as there were no small towns along the Kalabakan-Keningau gravel road. Sharing a tent & meagre rations with a group of labourers was a humbling experience which money can't buy.
Abdul Khalib, 38, is a commando with the Yankee Squadron in the Malaysian Royal Armed Forces and resides at Kg Bukit Buluh in Serdang, Kedah. He participated in the Ironman Langkawi challenge for four consecutive years (2000-2003) and became the Armed Forces’ cyclist from 2004 to 2006. His best achievement was claiming first place in the Malaysian category of the ironman challenge.
Mohd Aswad, 21, who hails from Kg Talang Dusun in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, takes up cycling, mount climbing and kayaking as hobbies. His series of experience included participating in the Tour of Southern Thailand 2003, Tour of Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia 2004, Tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China 2005 as well as tours of Perak-Kelantan, Ipoh-Phuket and Ipoh-Betong (2004).
We arrived with a rousing welcome by the students at gates of UKM stadium. The group were lead by this duo & Datuk Hasan Nawawi then lapped the stadium 5 times with a group of UKM students from Ibu Zain College to the delight of the spectators. CIOCC's Clan as always are very excited to be associated with them. Hopefully they will invite us for FREE & use the experience they have gained to take on a more challenging journey around the world in the future.
Soon, they will be attempting to cycle the world within 240 days, in an attempt to break the current record of 267 days. Good luck guys!
Aswad, Isham Daewa, Zharin, me, Khalib, Md. Noor Balung Ayam & Wak Jali.
After a month of arduous cross country cycling, duo Abdul Khalib Zakaria and Mohd Aswad Zainal finally completed their tour. Both men will earn a name in the Malaysian Book of Records for having successfully cycled across the country in a month, traversing across Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Brunei and finally Sabah.
Under the auspices of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), they underwent four years’ worth of intensive training from the patron of the project, Dato Hasan Nawawi, who himself was a globe trotter, before setting off on the challenge last Feb 14. * In 2001, Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abd Rahman, covered 26,565 km in 389 days during his cycling expedition around the world.
Their achievement erases the 2,709 kilometre record set by Abu Samad Hj .Yusuf, who had not included Brunei in his cycling tour. Completing the tour will be a morale booster for Abdul Khalib and Mohd Aswad to attempt a similar record cycling around China this May & the globe God willing, in 2010. This record-breaking project is part of our efforts as well to strike interest in cycling.
The greatest challenges for the cyclists was travelling across the interior parts of Sarawak which involved rough terrain, logging roads, gravel roads and steep mountain routes. Their best experience was sleeping in the forest area of Kalabakan, Sabah, as there were no small towns along the Kalabakan-Keningau gravel road. Sharing a tent & meagre rations with a group of labourers was a humbling experience which money can't buy.
Abdul Khalib, 38, is a commando with the Yankee Squadron in the Malaysian Royal Armed Forces and resides at Kg Bukit Buluh in Serdang, Kedah. He participated in the Ironman Langkawi challenge for four consecutive years (2000-2003) and became the Armed Forces’ cyclist from 2004 to 2006. His best achievement was claiming first place in the Malaysian category of the ironman challenge.
Mohd Aswad, 21, who hails from Kg Talang Dusun in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, takes up cycling, mount climbing and kayaking as hobbies. His series of experience included participating in the Tour of Southern Thailand 2003, Tour of Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia 2004, Tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China 2005 as well as tours of Perak-Kelantan, Ipoh-Phuket and Ipoh-Betong (2004).
We arrived with a rousing welcome by the students at gates of UKM stadium. The group were lead by this duo & Datuk Hasan Nawawi then lapped the stadium 5 times with a group of UKM students from Ibu Zain College to the delight of the spectators. CIOCC's Clan as always are very excited to be associated with them. Hopefully they will invite us for FREE & use the experience they have gained to take on a more challenging journey around the world in the future.
Soon, they will be attempting to cycle the world within 240 days, in an attempt to break the current record of 267 days. Good luck guys!
Aswad, Isham Daewa, Zharin, me, Khalib, Md. Noor Balung Ayam & Wak Jali.
More stories on these guys here.
Did you know that Khalib & Aswad rode all the way from their home to join my Sg. Sireh cycling programme? See & read about the kampong life here.
For their long distance adventure, surf Aswad's blog here. & another one here.
Cheerio!
