THE Terengganu-Polygon Cycling Team (TSG) will lead the challenge of teams from Southeast Asia in the 27th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) set from September 23 to 30.
As one of the most successful continental professional teams with extensive international experience, TSG is seen as the best bet when compared to other regional outfits such as 7-Eleven Cliqq-Air21 from the Philippines, Nusantara Cycling Team (Indonesia), Roojai Online Insurance (Thailand) and the Malaysia national team.
Even though TSG has not raced for the past few weeks due to the local riders wanting to focus on the national championship in Melaka, they are still ranked at a higher level considering their decision to send their imports to the Huangshan Tour in China last week.
Based on the latest rankings by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the team based in Kuala Terengganu is currently ranked 35th in the world with 1009 points—ahead of other Southeast Asian teams such as Roojai (ranked 40th) and 7-Evelen Cliqq (105th) while Nusantara is outside the world’s top 250.
However, this position may change a few notches higher following the positive results TSG achieved at the Tour of Huangshan which ended last Sunday when Jambaljamts Sainbayar won Stage 2 and finished second overall in the race in China.
At the domestic level, twice winner of LTdL’s King of the Mountain Muhamad Nur Aiman Zariff, also picked up the mass relay event title in the Malaysia national championships in Bukit Katil, Melaka, last Sunday.
On its reputation in the LTdL peloton itself, TSG stood out with one yellow jersey win at the 2018 edition of the LTdL through Artem Ovechkin, as well as collecting four stage wins from Ovechkin (Stage 5 2018) and three from Harrif Saleh (Stage 2 2019) as well as Stages 5 and 7 in 2020.
LTdL Chief Operating Officer Emir Abdul Jalal said that other than the Malaysia national team, TSG will no doubt be the focus of local fans, especially when it lines up against the WorldTeam and ProTeam outfits.
“The presence of quality riders like Jeroen Meijers (Netherlands), Anatoli Budiak (Ukraine), Yousef Reguigui (Algeria), Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Mongolia) and Jesse Ewart (Ireland) alongside the local lads will add further strength to the squad,” he said.
“Although the organizers have not received the full list of six riders for this LTdL, I am confident that TSG will come fully prepared as they hunt down for more stage victories,” he added.
Meanwhile, the presence of two Malaysian-born riders in the Roojai team—Loh Sea Keong and Muhammad Danieal Haikal Eddy Suhaidee—will also attract the attention of local fans after the team failed to make an appearance last year.
The strength of Roojai, which debuts this year, cannot be denied.
In addition to several European stalwarts like Lucas Karstensen (Germany), Fast Konstantin (Russia), Adne Van Engelen (Netherlands) and Polychronis Tzortzakis (Greece) as well as Mongolian champion, Tegshbayar Batsaikhan, they have also roped national champion of Laos, Ariya Phounsavath, and Thailand’s U23 national champion, Thimachai Kongphob.
The Philippine team of 7-Evelen Cliqq is not a new face in the LTdL where it has participated several times previously and where experience will no doubt make the team even better prepared this time around.
Meanwhile the new outfit from Indonesia, Nusantara Cycling Team which lists two imported riders, Alizadeh Hoessin (Iran) and Afiq Huznie Othman (Malaysia), should not be underestimated either because of its packed racing schedule in preparation for the LTdL.
“Another team that will always be highlighted by local fans is the Malaysian national squad which has been somewhat under the radar for the past few years,” Emir said. “However, this time around with the National Championships and several tours that they will participate in, I am confident that coach Yusof Nasir will put together the best strategy to give some cheer to the local fans.”
LTdL 2023, which has ProSeries status, is organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports through the National Sports Council in collaboration with the National Cycling Federation of Malaysia and will have eight stages over total distance of 1,280.3 kms and passing through 11 of the 12 states in the Malaysian Peninsula.