EARLE BAGS HIS SECOND WIN AND TORCKLER VIRTUALLY SEALS OVERALL VICTORY

30 APRIL 2012, KUNDASANG - NATHAN Earle of the Genesys Wealth Advisers team bagged victory in the Tour of Borneo's longest stage from Sepilok to Kundasang today.

It was Earle's second stage win in the inaugural edition of the Tour of Borneo after he won the second stage from Tawau to Lahad Datu on Saturday, but it wasn't enough to shed time and wrest the yellow jersey from a highly impressive Michael Torckler of the Pure Black Racing Team.

Earle crossed the finish line with overall leader Torckler right behind him as the duo jostled for the victory after breaking free from a group of 13 breakaway riders that started the final climb of the grueling 214.8km stage together.

From the start of the stage seven riders had escaped the bunch and as the group of 13 riders which included Torckler and Earle started the final 15 kilometres they caught the first of two remnants of that group, 7-Eleven by Road Bike Philippines' Mark John Lexer Galedo, and then Genesys Wealth Advisers' Jonathan Lovelock with 14 kilometres to go.

With three kilometres to go, it was Earle, Torckler and Polygon-Sweet Nice's Bambang Suryadi, who was dropped as the leading duo raced up the final two kilometres. At the finish, and realizing that he had retained the yellow jersey, Torckler just cruised over the finish line behind Earle, who added the red jersey for the king of the mountains classification to his stage win.

"It was a tough, long stage, but I like the climbs so I'm happy to have won here. The plan was to go for the yellow jersey, but Michael was amazingly strong today. There was nothing we could do to break him," said Earle.

Heading into the final stage, Torckler holds a six seconds lead over Earle in the general classification and hopes everything goes well in the stage from Kundasang to Kota Kinabalu tomorrow.

"I've not rode in such a long stage for a long time, so I'm happy that my body kept up with it. It's such a great feeling to be able to ride like this after being out of the sport for a year as I recovered from a broken knee cap," said Torckler.

"Tomorrow, I hope all of my teammates are in good shape for the final stage. We need to control the race and bring the yellow jersey to the finish."

Malaysia's Shahrul Mat Amin of the Terengganu Cycling Team produced an impressive performance in the stage, finishing fourth behind Earle, Torckler and Bambang to take over the Malaysian riders white jersey.

"My coach's instructions were for me to stay in the front group and try to climb. So I tried to stay with the riders in the front and managed to do so until the final climb, then the leaders just went away and I was running out of steam. All I could do was watch," said Shahrul.

"I am happy to have taken the Malaysian riders jersey, but quite disappointed that I couldn't do enough to take the Asian riders' jersey."

Kazakhstan's Sergey Kuzmin finished seventh in the stage and took charge of the Asian riders classification lead by the skin of his teeth, being tied on time with Tonton Susanto of Indonesia's Putra Perjuangan team, while Shahrul is third, just three seconds adrift.

The Tour of Borneo ends with a 112.4km final stage from Kundasang to Kota Kinabalu tomorrow.

The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state.

Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 19 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials.

In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state.


Tour of Borneo is monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

GIACOPPO LANDS GENESYS WEALTH ADVISERS' SECOND STRAIGHT VICTORY

29 APRIL 2012, SANDAKAN - ANTHONY Giacoppo won Stage Three of the Tour of Borneo from Lahad Datu to Sandakan today to register the Genesys Wealth Advisers team's second consecutive win.

Giacoppo, who had already won two stages in the Tour of Taiwan last month, beat Terengganu Cycling Team's Harrif Salleh in the bunch sprint, while Suren Uzbekistan Team's Azamat Turaev, the mountains classification leader, finished third.

New Zealand's Michael Torckler, the winner of Stage One, held on to the yellow jersey as the overall leader of the race and the Orange jersey as the points classification leader with two stages to go.

Stage Three covered a 181.8km route from Lahad Datu to Sandakan and right from the start there was a four-man breakaway comprising Kazakhstan's Nikolay Zaitsev, CCN Cycling Team's Fito Bakdo Prilanji, 7-Eleven by Road Bike Philippines' Mark John Lexer Galedo and Team Plan B's Luke Joyce.

The four escapees began their journey about four km into the stage and opened up a gap of more than six minutes at one point but they were caught with 20km to go.

The Genesys Wealth Advisers team managed to put Giacoppo in a commanding position for the win and despite Harrif's gallant efforts, there was simply no catching the 26-year old Australian.

"In the beginning this win looked like it wasn't going to happen because the breakaway made quite a big gap. The team worked hard and when it came to the sprint I was in a good position to go for it. I'm happy with it and tomorrow it is a stage in the mountains. We don't know what to expect but we are going to try and take the yellow jersey. We'll see how it goes," said Giacoppo.

Torckler said he will be trying to defend the yellow jersey with his team when they head to the gruelling 214.8km stage from Sepilok to Kundasang tomorrow.

"Tomorrow will also be about who has had the best recovery over the past three days to be in good shape for the climb, so it might not necessarily be a climber who wins," said Torckler.

The penultimate stage of the Tour of Borneo from Sepilok to Kundasang is also the longest stage of the race, where the overall winner and the winners in the king of the mountains, Asian riders and Malaysian riders classifications will most likely be decided.

The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state.

Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 19 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials.

In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state.
Tour of Borneo is monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

MAGNIFICENT 1-2-3 FINISH BY PURE BLACK RACING OPENS TOUR OF BORNEO 2012

TAWAU - New Zealand's Pure Black Racing Team dominated proceedings in the first ever stage of the Tour of Borneo with Michael Torckler, Louis Crosby and Roman Van Uden taking the top three spots at the end of the 102.8km stage from Semporna to Tawau on the East Coast of Sabah in East Malaysia.

Torckler, 25, attacked right from the start of the race at kilometre zero and was accompanied by Vadim Shaekov of the Suren Uzbekistan team. They went all the way until 20 kilometres to go, when Torckler attacked at the foot of a climb after bagging the second intermediate sprint of the day with the main bunch closing in swiftly.

The main bunch had caught up to Torckler in the final two kilometres but to his delight it was his teammates that were leading the way.

As a bunch sprint looked inevitable, the Pure Black Racing trio surged ahead after there was a split at the front of the bunch and Terengganu Cycling Team's Harrif Salleh chased them down in vain, having to settle for fourth in the stage.

"We didn't know what to expect, so we just prepared for everything. I decided to attack from the start and went away, we just kept going," said Torckler.

"As we approaced a hill after the second sprint, I saw the bunch was closing in so I decided to give it another go on the hill. The bunch then caught up, but I saw it was my two teammates who were there at the front and they urged me to go on.

"It's just fantastic. I've never seen a one-two-three finish before, certainly not in any races I've been in."
Torckler's victory meant that he also became the Tour of Borneo's first ever yellow jersey holder as the overall leader.

Harrif, who finished fourth was the best Asian rider. He holds the blue jersey for the leader of the Asian riders' classification and the white jersey as the leader of the Malaysian riders' classification.

The Tour of Borneo continues with a 146.6 kilometre Stage Two from Tawau to Lahad Datu where the mountains classification comes into play. Two category two climbs are lined along the stage to decide who the Tour of Borneo's first mountains classification leader will be.

The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state.

Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 20 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials.

In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state.

Tour of Borneo is monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

-Ends-

TOUR OF BORNEO PROMISES UNPREDICTABLE CHALLENGE

26 APRIL 2012, SEMPORNA - THERE is no clear picture as to who the possible winner of the inaugural Tour of Borneo will be when 19 teams are flagged off for Stage One from Semporna to Tawau in Sabah tomorrow. There may be favourites among the sprinters with the Terengganu Cycling Team hoping to bring some cheer to the local fans with sprinter Harrif Salleh set to light up the bunch sprints. He will face a stiff challenge from Genesys Wealth Advisers' Australian rider Anthony Giacoppo, the winner of two stages in the Tour of Taiwan last month. There will also be an expected challenge should the stages be decided in bunch sprints from OCBC Singapore's Ahmad Haidar Anuawar, who is eager to recapture his form after taking a year off from cycling to focus on his family matters. But the battle will get interesting when the race goes uphill with a whole array of prospects all looking good to fork out a challenge. Two 40-year olds will lead the charge in that department, beginning with Indonesian team Putra Perjuangan's Tonton Susanto, a veteran who has been one of Asia's top climbers for most of his career. Tonton will be looking to add to his 2007 Jelajah Malaysia overall victory and his three Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) Asian riders' classification victories when he starts the race tomorrow. Germany's Timo Scholz of the CCN Cycling Team is the other veteran who could spring a surprise. He comes fresh from a third overall finish in the Tour of the Philippines just a week ago. The focus of the climbers will be on the penultimate stage from Sepilok to Kundasang, at the foot of Mount Kinabalu, where undoubtedly the battle for the overall victory will be decided. The race will also feature eight other teams apart from Harrif's Terengganu Cycling Team, with Kuala Lumpur featuring an experienced line-up of seasoned riders who could do some damage in the race for the overall title. Kuala Lumpur lines up national riders Ahmad Fallanie Ali, Wan Mohd Najmee Wan Mohamed and Ng Yong Li, who will be backed by youngsters Hoh Jin Cheng and Mohd Nazri Mohamed. They will start as darkhorses with the possibility of some surprises. All 19 teams were presented at Seafest Hotel Semporna and attended by Penyuki Matta - Sabah Youth and Sports Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dato’ Fredie Sua - ToB Organising Chairman, Maniam Manikkam – ToB Technical Director and Datuk James Ligunjang – ToB Chief Executive Officer. The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state. Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 20 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials. In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state. Tour of Borneo is monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

SABAH TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR TOUR OF BORNEO AND FAN CLUB LAUNCHED

22 APRIL 2012, KOTA KINABALU - CYCLING Fans in the state will now have more reasons to be excited while awaiting the start of Tour of Borneo 2012, from 27 April to 1 May, when five young and talented riders will be flying the Sabah flag in the inaugural tour. To further support the young team who are being coached by Jatin Imam, Tour of Borneo FAN CLUB were also launched by Suriati Yantey Adam who attended on behalf of YB Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, the Member of Parliament for Papar who is also Deputy Health Minister Malaysia, at a press conference held today at Sabah Oriental Hotel in Kota Kinabalu. At the ceremony, Suriati also handed over the Sabah State flag to the team manager, Julian Ong. The Sabah team roster for TOB, under the guidance of coach Jatim Imam, will be headed by national mountain bike champion, Shahrin Amir, Mohd Suhaizan Rayim, Chai Eng Hoe, Jeoffrey Jerry Jemie and Yusuf Ali. Also present at the ceremony was Tour of Borneo Organising Chairman, Dato’ Fredie Sua and race officials. In the press conference, Suriati expressed that YB Datuk Rosnah hopes Sabah team will stand out and bring honor to the state in the inaugural race, it will indeed spark interest in cycling and to influence other young riders. “As a cycling tour that crosses most main districts in Sabah, I hope that more fans will come out to support and cheer our young team on, this will surely boost their determination when competing with the other teams. "The successful organization of the first ever Tour of Borneo will certainly be much sweeter and meaningful when our team can give a stiff challenge to our overseas competitors, and at the same time we hope they will gain valuable experience to become professional athletes in the near future,"she said. According to Suriati, the federal government and state government always support and encourage the youths to engage in beneficial activities, especially sports and recreation to promote and practice a healthy lifestyle. Dato’ Fredie also encouraged cycling fans to be a part of the action by joining the Tour of Borneo Fan Club page on Facebook. “Our fans will get the latest news about the race, see photos, even post their own photos to the page and also give their opinions for further betterment of the event. We are still learning as we go and it is important to get feedback from the public and especially from our fans so we can improve.” “Cycling fans can log in to our official website www.tourofborneo.com and click on the Facebook link to our Fan Club page, I am excited to see the responses and hope all of our Sabah fans will join in the action.” He added. The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state. Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu. 20 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials. In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest, Borneo International Marathon and Kadazan Harvest Festival celebrations which kicks off on 1st May, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state. Tour of Borneo will be monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

TYT NEGERI SABAH TO ATTEND CLOSING CEREMONY WITH TUN DR MAHATHIR

18 April 2012, KOTA KINABALU - SABAH’S first international cycling road race - Tour of Borneo which will start from Semporna on April 27 will receive a premier touch at the closing ceremony in Kota Kinabalu on May 1.

Tour of Borneo (ToB) Organising Chairman, Dato' Fredie Sua confirms that Tuan Yang Terutama Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah, Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Juhar Bin Haji Mahiruddin will grace the event with Honorary Patron, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to officiate the closing ceremony of the inaugural edition of the five-stage tour.

ToB Organising Committee presented a Special Invitation to Tuan Yang Terutama Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah at a press conference held in the Royal Palace today.

Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Juhar Bin Haji Mahiruddin upon receiving the invitation, also confessed to being a cycling enthusiast, having officiated and assisted in district level cycling competitions during the period as Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kinabatangan.

“I am very happy to be a part of this historical event, this race will bring great improvement in the development of cycling in Sabah and I would really like to see our boys take the spot on the podium.”

"I hope that through Tour of Borneo, the people, especially fans of cycling in this country will be able to feel the excitement of a cycling tour, at the same time highlighting the uniqueness of the rich culture and our friendly hospitality to the competitors and officials from overseas who will be here for the first time in Sabah," he added.

During the press conference, Tuan Yang Terutama Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah also witnessed a cheque handover from Datuk Lau Chen Kiong, Chairman of Sutranah Development Sdn Bhd from Sarawak to Tour of Borneo organizer.

Dato’ Fredie also confirmed that all parties involved have pledged their commitment and it is all systems go for the inaugural race. "To ensure the success of the first edition of Tour of Borneo, all government agencies at state and district level have agreed to fully commit to ensure the smooth running of the race and also hype up all the host venues especially at the start and finish locations.”

"20 professional teams consisting of continental, national and club teams from all over Asia, including Malaysia, Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand have confirmed their participation and will be accompanied by over 520 race officials," Dato' Fredie added.

Tun Dr Mahathir as the race’s Honorary Patron is also seen as the highest level of recognition for Tour of Borneo as the former Prime Minister was the man who inspired Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 17 years ago, the tour has now been recognised as one of the most popular race in the world and Asia and successfully introduced Langkawi Island and Malaysia to the world.

The 2.2 category Tour is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is listed in UCI Asian Tour calendar, it is hoped to promote Sabah as the ultimate sports tourism destination in Malaysia, and promote cycling in the state.

Tour of Borneo covers a total distance of 758.4 kilometer, will start from Semporna and will pass through pictureque locations of Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sepilok, Kundasang and ends in Kota Kinabalu.

Stage 4, the longest stage covering 214.8 kilometers from Sepilok to Kundasang, is considered the most challenging due to the level of difficulty of the ascent through panoramic views of the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, it will become a household name among the riders who compete in the race, and could be labeled as the race’s 'queen stage' - like the climb to Genting Highlands for Le Tour de Langkawi.

In addition to a challenging route, Tour of Borneo will also held at a time of various festivals held in Sabah such as Regatta Lepa Lepa, Sabah Fest and Borneo International Marathon, providing an opportunity for fans from within and outside the country to experience the joy of a holiday in the state.

Tour of Borneo will be monitored by UCI President Commissaire from New Zealand, Zac Prendergast. The organizer’s main objective is to promote interest in cycling among the younger generations in Sabah, and expose Malaysian riders to more international level competition, thus contributing to the development of cycling in Malaysia.

The 20 teams confirmed for Tour of Borneo 2012 :

1. Team Genesys Wealth Advisers (AUS) - Continental Team

2. OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team (SIN) - Continental Team

3. Tabriz Petrochemical Team (IRI) - Continental Team

4 Suren Uzbekistan Team (UZB) - Continental Team

5. CCN Cycling Team (BRU) - Continental Team

6. Terengganu Cycling Team (MAS) - Continental Team

7. Kazakhstan Cycling Federation (KAZ) - National

8. Brunei Darussalam National Team (BRU) - National

9. Malaysian National Team - National

10. Pure Black Racing Team (NZL) - Club

11. Team Plan B (AUS) - Club

12. Polygon Sweet Nice (INA) - Club

13. Putra Perjuangan (INA) - Club

14. 7 Eleven By Roadbike Philippines (PHI) - Club

15. Malaysian Armed Forces - Club

16. Kuala Lumpur - State

17. Negeri Sembilan - State

18. Pahang - State

19. Selangor - State

20. Sabah - State

-Ends-

ASIA'S BIG NAMES SET TO LIGHT UP INAUGURAL TOUR OF BORNEO

9 April 2012, KOTA KINABALU - DEFENDING UCI Asia Tour overall winners Tabriz Petrochemical will start as favorites to win the overall title in the inaugural Tour of Borneo in Sabah on April 27 to May 1.

YB Datuk Jahid Jahim, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Sabah announced the participating teams at a press conference, which was held today at Sabah Ministry of Youth and Sports. Also present was Tour of Borneo 2012 Organizing Chairman Dato’ Fredie Sua and race officials.

“I am impressed by the overwhelming response from teams as this is our first year. I believe that we will have a truly competitive line-up, a new history will be made in Sabah, we hope to see our riders do their very best and will be able to be on the podium.” said Datuk Jahid.

The five-stage race already promises a spectacular debut on the international calendar with some of the most picturesque settings along it's 758.4 kilometre total distance and the action itself now promises to match that with Tabriz Petrochemical leading the charge.

The Iranian team will be led by the 2010 UCI Asia Tour overall individual champion Hossein Askari, who will be among the favourites for the deciding battle in Stage Four, the longest stage covering 214.8 kilometres from Sepilok to Kundasang at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. That is also the longest stage of the race.

Providing a stiff challenge to the Iranians will be Australia's Genesys Pro Cycling featuring Tom Robinson, Kane Walker, Kyle Marwood, Alex Carver, Joel Pearson and Nic Sanderson. Australia will also be represented by the Plan B Cycling Team.

Not to be discounted is the local challenge led by the Terengganu Cycling team who have lined up their strongest team led by sprinter Harrif Salleh. Also in the squad, which is Malaysia's only UCI Continental Team this year, are Harrif's elder brother Zamri, Malaysian national champion Shahrul Mat Amin, Tour of Thailand stage winners Saufi Mat Senan and Shinichi Fukushima, and South Korean Jang Chan Jae.

Thus far, 19 teams have been confirmed for the UCI 2.2 race, with Malaysian teams Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Armed Forces, the national under-23 team and Sabah set to mix it up with some of the best riders in Asia.

Indonesia will be represented by two teams - Polygon Sweet Nice and Putra Perjuangan, the Philippines also by two teams 7-Eleven by Roadbike Philippines and LBC Cycling Team, while Brunei's first UCI Continental Team CCN Cycling Team will also be present, alongside Singapore's OCBC Cycling featuring Malaysian rider Ahmad Haidar Anuawar.

New Zealand's Pure Black Racing team, who have spent the past month in Malaysia for a training base, will also feature in the race led by star Roman Van Uden, while the Suren Uzbekistan Team should not be discounted from the challenge for the overall title with promising young star Muratjan Halmuratov, winner of a stage in the Tour of Thailand, backed by the experienced Vladimir Tuychiev in their squad.

Kazakhstan's national team will be guided by coach Yevgeniy Yakovlev who is no stranger to this part of the world, having featured with Indonesian and Malaysian teams in the past in races such as Le Tour de Langkawi and Jelajah Malaysia.

Tour of Borneo 2012 is a five-day road race that involves five stages covering a total distance of 758.4 kilometres. The 2.2 category event is sanctioned by the Malaysian National Cycling Federation and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and is listed in the UCI Asian Tour calendar.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the honorary patron of the event, while Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman is the honorary national adviser.

The 5 stages race will start from Semporna to Tawau (102.8km) on 27th April, from there the riders will proceed to Stage 2 : Tawau - Lahad Datu (146.6km); Stage 3 : Lahad Datu - Sandakan (181.8km); before they face the grueling mountain highlands in Stage 4 from Sepilok leading to Kundasang (214.8km) the base of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia. The race will end in the West Coast of Sabah on Stage 5 : Kundasang – Kota Kinabalu (112.4km), on 1st of May 2012.

-Ends-