LTdL Next Year To Be Even Better

By Muhammad Afiff Md Adnan

BINTULU, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024 Chief Operating Officer (COO), Emir Abdul Jalal has set his mission to ensure that the prestigious Asian road cycling race remains challenging and provides an unforgettable experience for the riders.

He said that the consecutive climbing routes introduced in this year's edition met expectations in terms of impact and surprise, particularly in the fight for the overall title and hence, this format will continue next year.

"If we have (the) Genting Highlands (stage), we’ll do it again. My goal is to offer riders back-to-back mountain climbs because it brings back memories of 2001 and 2011.

"When you have that, the prestige of the race becomes extraordinary. For instance, Yonathan Monsalve (Androni Giocattoli Serramenti PVC Diquigiovan) unexpectedly won the overall title, while Takaeki Ayabe (Aisan Racing Team) won at Cameron  Highlands (then) but dropped out in Genting. This creates unpredictability, making the race even more exciting,” he explained.

He added that his team will work hard to ensure Genting Highlands returns as part of the LTdL route next year if given the opportunity.

Emir also noted that the current LTdL edition received positive feedback from most riders, as it provided equal opportunities for them to achieve the best results up to the final stage.

"This time, LTdL gave them a sense that they had a chance to win until the end, even without Genting. This shows that the route offered was very interesting.

“For example, the Orange Jersey (Sprint King) won by Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Sprint King of the 2023 edition) was only secured by the sixth stage. We thought he would retain it from the start, but it was taken by Matteo Malucelli (JCL Team UKYO). The same thing happened in the battle for the Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains),” he said.

He highlighted that local teams such as Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC), and the national road cycling team also gained valuable experience from the challenging routes and thus will require hard work next year as they compete against world-class riders.

MPC team director, Mohd Sayuti Mohd Zahit expressed his pride in his team finishing as one of the top three in Asia for the overall team category, especially considering this was the team's debut in LTdL with mostly  young riders.

"That impressed me. We didn’t set high expectations for them, especially with Izzat Hilmi (Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil) absent, but Syzarin (Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah) stepped up. Although they didn’t make the top 10 or 15, he tried to be the best Malaysian step by step, and we saw progress, which gave him and his teammates valuable experience.

“So, we will not remain idle. We will identify the team's weaknesses and try to improve for next year,” he added.

The LTdL 2024 race, which covered eight stages over a distance of 1,190 kilometres, concluded yesterday.

-- BERNAMA