CYCLING: A calm Anuar heads to the US Read more: CYCLING: A calm Anuar heads to the US -

AN embattled Anuar Manan leaves for the United States today remaining calm over his inevitable exclusion from the Olympics road race team.

Anuar Manan

But the 26-year-old believes he has much more to look forward to as he continues to work towards his goal of making it into a Grand Tour.

Anuar begins his US-stint with the China-registered Champion System team in the TD Bank International Cycling Championship in Philadelphia on June 2.

"I'm not thinking about whether I'm going to be selected for the Olympics team. I don't want to say much. I'm leaving it to the MNCF (Malaysian National Cycling Federation)," said Anuar.

"Of course it is going to be hard for me to deliver victories or results this year because I'm racing at a much harder level compared to the rest of those short-listed.

"I have been racing in Europe with UCI Pro Teams and now in the US it is going to be about the same.

"If they are looking at results, then I don't think this is the year that I'm going to do much because I'm just continuing my development."

Anuar will be racing in the US for the next two months but has been told he needs two years to make it as a top sprinter in Europe.

"I've been very disappointed with my results in Europe where it was very hard to even finish races. But my more experienced teammates had calmed me down and told me that it was normal," said Anuar.

"They've said I will need to adapt to the level of cycling slowly and it takes time. There's a lot of adjustments to my riding already being made.

"Right now I'm working on my riding position, which still needs some adjustments. Little by little I am starting to get things right.

"In the US we'll see whether I've improved a little or not. I won't be discouraged if I'm not selected for the Olympics."

The MNCF will be registering its recommendations to the Olympic Council of Malaysia in the final selection committee meeting on Monday.

Indications are that Anuar's teammate Adiq Husainie Othman and Terengganu Cycling Team's Harrif Salleh are the frontrunners for the two slots available for Malaysia's road race team that will compete in the Olympics.