KUALA LUMPUR: Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) is banking on a heavyweight international field to mark the 30th edition, with two WorldTeams and eight ProTeams confirmed for the eight-stage race from Sept 27-Oct 4.
Kazakhstan’s XDS Astana and Dutch outfit Picnic PostNL headline the 20-team field announced by the National Sports Council (NSC) on Wednesday, with seven of the eight ProTeams having already competed in one of cycling’s three Grand Tours.
The ProTeam contingent comprises Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Equipo Kern Pharma, Burgos-Burpellet, TotalEnergies, Unibet Rose Rockets, Bardiani CSF-Saber and newcomer Modern Adventure Pro Cycling from the United States.
NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin said the quality of the field remained a priority despite the reduction from 22 teams last year, with the organisers having to turn away two WorldTeams that had also expressed interest.
“Uno-X and EF Education were interested in joining us, but Astana and Picnic had confirmed their participation earlier, so we had to turn down the two WorldTeams,” he said at the team announcement in Bukit Jalil.
Jefri said the door could be reopened next year if the organisers secure stronger financial backing.
“For next year, we have more time to look for sponsors and get more funding, and we will invite the more prominent teams again,” he said.
The field also includes a new American presence in Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, a team established this year and guided by American cycling legend George Hincapie.
LTdL chief executive officer Emir Abdul Jalal said the decision to invite the South Carolina-based team was partly driven by the prospect of expanding the race’s reach in the US.
“We did not take Modern Adventure just to have another team. One of our targets is viewership in America. We also have the Visit Malaysia agenda, so bringing them here could give us wider exposure in the US,” he said.
Emir said the organisers were also looking at the television value generated by teams from different markets, pointing to China’s WheelTop Rotor Chengdu Cycling Team as another example.
He said the Chinese outfit was currently the country’s top-ranked team and its presence could help LTdL gain greater exposure when the race is broadcast in China.
For the organisers, the international make-up of the field is therefore about more than competition on the road.
“LTdL is not just a bicycle race. It has always been about viewership value,” Emir said.
Another talking point is the potential strength of the final rider line-ups, which have yet to be submitted.
Emir said Astana were expected to take the race seriously given their WorldTeam status, while names including Wout Poels and Thomas De Gendt had been mentioned, although neither rider has been confirmed for LTdL.
The organisers are also expecting a surprise from the Continental ranks, with Emir revealing that WheelTop Rotor Chengdu had recruited a rider specifically for LTdL.
He did not disclose the rider’s identity, but said the move was intended to strengthen the Chinese team’s challenge against the WorldTeams and ProTeams.
“The rider was bought specially for Tour de Langkawi,” he said.
The 20-team field comprises nine Continental teams, including Terengganu Cycling Team and Malaysia Pro Cycling, alongside the Malaysian national team.
Despite the smaller field, organisers said the prize money would remain unchanged from last year’s reported €166,860 (RM788,000), with the reduction in teams being part of wider cost-saving measures rather than a cut to the race’s regulated prize purse.
Emir said the organisers had to trim spending in other areas while retaining the standards required to stage a UCI ProSeries race.
The race will cover 1,285.5km across eight stages, beginning in Shah Alam and finishing in Putrajaya.
With the final rider rosters still to come, the organisers believe the confirmed team line-up has set the stage for a stronger international contest at LTdL’s 30th anniversary edition.
– NST
