HONG KONG — They came to Hong Kong expecting to take on two races each at the 2014 Hong Kong Track Cup.

But the lure of getting more precious time on a timber oval meant Singapore cyclists Dinah Chan and Ang Kee Meng were more than happy to sign up for more events at the three-day competition which began yesterday.

The duo — Ang is representing the OCBC Singapore Pro Team and Chan is guest-riding for Track Cycling Western Australia — were determined to enjoy every moment they had on the brand new HK$600 million (S$98.1 million) Tseung Kwan O Velodrome, as there is not a single such wooden surface indoor facility in all of South-east Asia.

Pleased to refresh their track legs on the curve and camber of the wooden 250m oval, Chan and Ang are also gearing up for the 2014 Asian Cycling Championship in Kazakhstan, a track event that will demand different skill sets to the road riding capabilities of which both are well-adept.

For Chan, this was her first competitive outing since winning the women’s 30km individual time trial last month at the 27th SEA Games in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. Though the 27-year-old had harboured doubts about taking on events other than the 10km scratch and 20km points races, she made a fist of riding the 500m and 200m time-trials as well, both of which featured Sarah Lee Wai Sze, Hong Kong’s 2013 world champion (500m) and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist (keirin).

Chan will also be tackling the women’s elite Omnium, which is a compendium of six races, much like the heptathlon or decathlon in athletics. As for Ang, this trip to Hong Kong is another stop in the journey to reclaim Singapore’s legacy in track racing. While many know now that there was a 16-year gold medal drought for Singapore in SEA Games cycling, not many would readily recall that the medal achieved by Bernard Wong at the 1997 Jakarta Games was achieved on the track, in the men’s 30km scratch race.

Prior to that, Singapore’s cycling legacy was built on the medal achievements of Kenneth Tan, whose four SEA Games medals (three silver and a bronze) and a silver at the Asian Cycling Championship were all achieved in the men’s 4km Individual Pursuit, a track event.

“I’m trying to bring back track cycling (into the Singapore consciousness), and it should not stop with me,” said Ang who, along with former rower-turned-cyclist Yeong Wai Mun, is Singapore’s current track-focused rider. “Most of Singapore’s medals in the past came from the track, and I’d like to see more riders taking on track events.”

Ang’s first day of competition saw him tackling the Omnium, riding three of the six races included in this event. “There’s plenty of room for improvement for me as it is very hard to train without a velodrome in Singapore, which means I often have to fly to Australia or Thailand or drive up to Malaysia to get track time,” he said. “My last outing was at an outdoor concrete velodrome in Chiang Mai, where you are open to the elements and get tired easily.

“This new track in Hong Kong is very impressive and must count among the best in Asia. I hope they will hold more events here as it is very accessible to Singapore riders for training and racing. More importantly, I really hope we can see a velodrome built in Singapore soon. We definitely have medal potential on track, and having a velodrome at home would help get things going.”