KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s countdown to hosting the 2027 SEA Games and Asean Para Games is already on the road as organisers are turning to the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) to take the message of next year’s Games to an international audience.
The 2027 Malaysia Organising Committee (MASOC) has teamed up with 2026 LTdL as sponsor of the race’s blue sprint jersey, giving the two major sporting events exposure through the cycling race’s international television coverage.
The 2027 MASOC Secretariat chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Rashid Yaakub said the partnership was part of efforts to step up promotion of the SEA Games, which will be held in Malaysia next year.
He said MASOC needed effective promotional platforms through an integrated marketing approach as it prepares to plan, coordinate and deliver the region’s biggest multi-sport events.
“We chose this partnership based on the overall sponsorship package, particularly the opportunity to promote the SEA Games and Asean Para Games worldwide through international television broadcasts.
“This is in line with our mission to ensure our neighbours in Southeast Asia are aware of the events while watching what I consider to be one of the biggest cycling races in Asia,” he said at the announcement of the 2027 MASOC-2026 LTdL partnership on Monday.
The blue jersey is also expected to attract plenty of attention with several proven sprinters set to battle for the honour.
XDS-Astana’s Matteo Malucelli is among the leading contenders after claiming six stage wins between LTdL23 and LTdL25. He was also crowned the LTdL24 sprint champion while riding for Japanese Continental team UKYO.
His teammate Gleb Syritsa, a four-time stage winner, is another contender, while Tudor Cycling Team’s Maikel Zijlaard will be looking to add to his record after finishing third in a stage at the 2025 Giro d’Italia and second at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA’s Iuri Leitao, who won stages at the Tour of Qinghai Lake and GP Anicolor this year, will also be in the mix, alongside Petr Rikunov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu), Pierre Barbier (TSG) and Malaysia Pro Cycling’s Izzat Hilmi Halil.
Also present at the announcement were National Sports Council (NSC) events and sports management division director Safrushahar Yusoff and LTdL26 secretariat chief operating officer Emir Abdul Jalal.
The 30th edition of LTdL will begin with Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar on Sunday and conclude with Stage 8 from Muar to Putrajaya on Oct 4, covering 1,285.5km.
A total of 20 teams — two WorldTeams, eight ProTeams, nine Continental teams and the Malaysia national team — will compete in this year’s race.
– NST
