Ci Hui Nyo “Qiqi”

Ci Hui Nyo — "you can call me Kiki" — is from Malaysia. Her first bike was a birthday present from her mother when she was 12; at 15 she joined the national team. But after 21, she says, there are almost no races for her at home — only the national championship.

The Flandrien Scholarship gave her the chance to race in Europe. Her mother came with her at first, worried for her safety, and felt at ease in this environment. In Belgium she did not finish her first six races; with help and advice from the riders around her she finished her seventh, raced 13 in total and twice finished in the top 20.

She calls the hotel "a cycling family", and programme director Cindy Pomares a big sister who taught her both racecraft and life skills. Her dream: to sign with a European team — and, next, to return to the national team for the Southeast Asian Games hosted in Malaysia.