KUALA LUMPUR: Two WorldTeam competing at the 30th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL26), XDS Astana Team and Team Picnic PostNL, are showing contrasting objectives based on the preliminary rider lists submitted ahead of Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar on September 27.
Astana has listed four sprinters and two climbers among its six riders, while Picnic PostNL is still relying on a lineup of lesser-known and less experienced riders.
The pairing of Matteo Malucelli and Gleb Syritsa who each recorded 10 stage wins at LTdL between 2023 and 2025 along with support from Lev Gonov and young rider Alessio Dalle Vedove, means the Kazakhstan-registered team appears to be targeting bunch sprint finishes on flat stages.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Ecuadorian rider Harold Martin Lopez is expected to aim for a strong finish in the overall individual classification (GC), alongside Aaron Gate, winner of Stage 8 LTdL25 from Tangkak to Kuala Lumpur.
Italian-born rider Malucelli, 32, remains experienced and appears to be at his peak, having also had the chance to compete in the 2026 Giro d’Italia. The same goes for Russian rider Syritsa, 26, who recorded his most recent stage win at the Baku-Khankendi Tour of Azerbaijan last May.
Russian rider Gonov, 26, who also competed at LTdL25 and finished 50th in the GC standings, and New Zealand’s Gate, 30, are expected to support Lopez on the climbs or lead Astana’s charge before opening the way for Malucelli or Syritsa near the finish line.
Picnic, which made a strong debut in 2024 through British overall jersey winner Max Poole has this time listed only two pure climbers – 27-year-old Tim Naberman and 21-year-old Colombian rider Guillermo Juan Martinez.
Naberman was given the chance to race in the Giro d’Italia last May but only managed to finish 132nd overall, while Martinez earned his opportunity to ride in the 2026 Vuelta a Espana after a strong showing and finishing 16th overall at the Volta ao Algarve in February and 20th at the Tour de Pologne last month.
Australian-born rider Matt Dinham, who finished 15th overall at LTdL25, is expected to be fighting to restore his fitness level after suffering a leg injury at the Tour de Suisse last June.
Three other Picnic sprinters on the list submitted by manager Melvin Pulliere are 27-year-old Irish rider Dillon Corkery, and two young Dutch riders, 20-year-old Milan de Cuester and 21-year-old Mees Vlot.
LTdL26 Secretariat Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emir Abdul Jalal said that although Astana and Picnic both hold WorldTeam status, their main objectives and strategies this time are easy to predict.
“It’s quite clear that Astana, fielding Malucelli and Syritsa alongside Gate and Gonov, seem to focus on chasing stage wins on flat terrain. But with three difficult mountain stages at Gunung Jerai, Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands, this strategy could backfire if their sprinters fitness doesn’t fully recover after the climbs,” said Emir in a statement today.
For the record, 19 riders were eliminated due to exceeding the time limit (Outside Time Limit) at Stage 4 of LTdL24, from Kuala Kubu Baru to Bentong, after enduring the climb to Cameron Highlands the day before.
As for Picnic, Emir said the team has been less impressive this year, sitting at 30th in the rankings as of September 9 – far behind other WorldTeam as well as several ProTeam outfits who also competing in LTdL26.
“Their situation seems ‘urgent’, needing to collect as many points as possible, and their preliminary six-rider list looks less than convincing. But I believe there will definitely be some changes to their roster in the days before they fly to Malaysia,” he said.
LTdL26, a 2.ProSeries-ranked race, will begin with Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar on September 27 and conclude with Stage 8 from Muar to Putrajaya on October 4, covering a total distance of 1,285.5km.
The 30th edition of the tour is jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
