KUALA LUMPUR – The Australian Continental team, St George Continental Cycling Team, is back to compete in the eight-stage PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 (PLTdL) after a year’s absence.
The team’s lineup for this year includes young Malaysian rider Tsen Ren Bao, who was signed last March. Ren Bao, the son of Malaysian legend Tsen Seong Hoong, is expected to be a key attraction for the local fans. He will join five other riders to tackle the challenging race, which starts on September 28 in Langkawi and ends on October 5 in front of the PETRONAS Twin Towers (KLCC).
According to PLTdL25 Chief Operating Officer (COO), Emir Abdul Jalal, Ren Bao’s presence was a significant factor in inviting St George, after ARA-Skip Capital represented Australia last year.
“We know our local fans want to see Ren Bao ride with his professional team at LTdL25. “That’s why we invited St George again for the first time since 2023. This is also our way of supporting Ren Bao’s professional career, as he is a talented and promising new-generation rider,” said Emir in statement today.
Last year, at the age of 21, Ren Bao finished 56th in the overall individual classification during his first participation. Despite competing in more than 10 races this year, the 2024 national individual time trial (ITT) runner-up has faced bad luck due to several accidents and injuries.
The three other young riders on the St George line-up are New Zealand-born riders Mitchel Fitzsimons (22) and Nate Hadden (19), who will focus on the flat stages, along with the versatile Declan Tresize (23), who has trained with teams like Astana and ARA-Skip Capital.
The two most experienced riders are former Bolton Equities-Black Spoke rider Ben Carman (30), who joined the team in August and British rider Daniel Whitehouse (30), who is the team’s main contender for a top spot in the overall classification.
Of the six riders, only Ren Bao has previously competed in the PLTdL. Surprisingly, the team did not include two of their top-performing riders this year, Nick Kergozou and Tom Sexton.
The 29th edition of PLTdL25 is a 2.ProSeries event on the UCI Asia Tour calendar. It kicks off in Langkawi on September 28 and concludes at the KLCC on October 5, covering a total distance of 1,244.2km.
As one of Asia’s most prestigious races, drawing 22 teams from around the world, the event is organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (NSC), with support from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
The race will begin in Langkawi Island on September 28 with the first stage covering a distance of 96.7 kilometers (km) followed by Stage 2 from Padang Besar, Perlis to Kepala Batas, Penang (166.1km); Stage 3 from Gerik, Perak to Pasir Puteh, Kelantan (198.2km); Stage 4 from Kuala Terengganu to Kemaman (141.5km); Stage 5 from Temerloh to Fraser’s Hill, Pahang (123.1km); Stage 6 from Shah Alam, Selangor to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan (123.5km); Stage 7 from Melaka to Medini, Johor (214.9km) and Stage 8 from Tangkak, Johor to Kuala Lumpur (180.2km) on October 5.
ST GEORGE CONTINENTAL CYCLING TEAM RIDERS
- BEN CARMEN (AUS)
- MITCHEL FITZSIMONS (NZL)
- NATE HADDEN (AUS)
- DECLAN TREZISE (AUS)
- TSEN REN BAO (MAS)
- DANIEL WHITEHOUSE (GBR)
