Maharajh in waiting game for World Cup spot

Varun Maharajh, TT ’s top endurance rider, placed seventh in the Men’s Omnium at the just concluded Elite Pan American Championships and is now awaiting confirmation from the sport’s governing body of his participation at the coming three-stage World Cup series.

Fifth place overall from Maharajh at the Pan Ams would have assured a spot for TT at the series.

With valuable UCI points up for grabs at the region’s final World Cup qualifier, this year’s tourney saw riders display an added level of determination and intensity along the track. Now, Maharajh must await the results of several other international Grand Prixs (until September 15) around the globe and hope that some of the top finishers at the Pan Am Championships perform poorly and he overtakes them in ranking.

At the Pan Am, Maharajh finished just one point away from fifth place and automatic qualification.

Overall, he expressed pleasure with his performance but was a bit disappointed with the end result.

“I was pleased with my performance at Pan Ams,” said Maharajh from his USbase yesterday. “I’m not happy with the results but I rode strong and smart so I know that I did all that I could. It’s a big gamble for me at the moment to qualify for the World Cup series.” He explained that the South Americans were in top shape at Pan Am as rider gear up for next year’s World Cycling Championships and inevitably, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Pan Ams this year was attended by only the top ranking South American countries in terms of performance.

The competition was so tough that I even did personal best times in almost every individual event I contested and it still fell just short. However, it’s a challenge to continuously go faster at sea level,” he further explained.

Following his recent campaign in Chile, Maharajh will remain in Boulder, Colorado, until the UCI release date. Confirmation for the World Cups will see the promising cyclist stay in the US and continue training under the expert tutelage of American coach Neal Henderson.

He will return home if he fails to secure a spot.

Over the next few days until September 15, Maharajh remains optimistic of qualifying for the first time in TT ’s history.

He concluded: “If I really get to the World Cup and have to compete, I’ll do the same thing as I do for every race - give it my best. Just this time I’ll be better prepared to race at this level.”