KUALA LUMPUR – The inclusion of a Malaysian rider in Australia’s St George Continental Cycling Team will once again capture the attention of cycling fans throughout the 30th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL26).
The appearance of Tsen Ren Bao – making his third consecutive showing in the tour that once put his father, Tsen Seong Hoong, on the map, will serve as a platform for the 23-year-old’s development and progress in his second professional season.
In his debut appearance representing the Malaysian national team at LTdL24, Ren Bao finished 56th overall. However, after joining St George last year, he climbed to 34th overall, emerging as the top Malaysian finisher in LTdL25.
Unlike last season, Ren Bao has had a lighter race calendar this year, competing in only a few major events – the Tour of Gyeongnam (South Korea), the Guangzhou International Cycling Race and the Chengdu Tianfu Greenway International.
Alongside Ren Bao, St George’s lineup features Rohan Haydon Smith, Liam Cuthbertson, Jack Lightfoot, Lindon Milostic and Daniel Whitehouse.
British rider Whitehouse, 31, a skilled climber with prior LTdL experience, was the team’s top general classification performer last year, finishing 17th overall.
Whitehouse, who previously rode for local squad TSG from 2016 to 2017, is a versatile rider capable of springing surprises on mountain stages, a strength proven by his third-place overall finish at this year’s Tour of Thailand.
Climbing duties widely considered the toughest challenge at LTdL26, are expected to be shared with talented 19-year-old Australian, Lindon Milostic who impressed with a 13th-place overall finish at the Tour of Thailand in March.
Managed by Brett Dutton and Stuart Boyce, the squad also includes sprinter Lightfoot, 24; Haydon Smith, 25; and youngster Cuthbertson, 19.
Haydon Smith brings solid experience despite primarily racing on the domestic circuit, with only three overseas appearances this year – Chengdu Tianfu and Guangzhou International in April, and the Tour of Gyeongnam in June.
Lightfoot’s standout achievements include a 5th-place finish on Stage 1 of the Chengdu Tianfu Greenway and a 3rd-place finish at Australia’s Peel Summer Criterium in February.
LTdL26 Secretariat Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emir Abdul Jalal noted that local fans are eager to assess Ren Bao’s growth firsthand, particularly following his 44th-place finish on the Fraser’s Hill climb last year.
“We prioritize inviting foreign teams that are willing to field Malaysian-born riders, and Ren Bao is currently the only national rider representing an overseas team. The opportunity to ride in this LTdL is part of his talent development and experience-building process with a professional team, which could potentially benefit the national squad one day,” said Emir.
The 30th edition of LTdL26 kicks off with Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar on September 27 and concludes with Stage 8 from Muar to Putrajaya on October 4, spanning a total distance of 1,285.5km.
Categorized as a 2.ProSeries event, LTdL26 is organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN), with full backing from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
