Feb 6, 2014

GRAEME BROWN TO BACK THEO BOS AGAIN IN BELKIN’S TOP TRAIN

Greame Brown, the perfect lead-out man

Theo Bos, back for more wins


BUKIT JALIL, 6 February 2014 - After completing the 2013 season with thirteen wins including two at Le Tour de Langkawi, Theo Bos will be back in Malaysia at the helm of the Belkin team that accumulated 38 successes, making the Dutch outfit the second most prolific squad of last year after Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

As he became sick after stage 4, Bos pulled out of his first LTdL but following his six bunch sprint victories at the Tour of Hainan in China in October, he’s hungry for more success in Asia, as his lead out man Graeme Brown explained. The Australian was once the record holder of stage wins at Le Tour de Langkawi, until Andrea Guardini who now has twelve under his belt overtook him in 2012.

“I’ve won nine stages when I came to Malaysia as a sprinter [from 2002 to 2005] but now I work for Theo Bos”, the Australian said.

“I really like the race itself. These days many organizers tend to make the races too hard and from what I understand there are nine stages for sprinters out of ten at Le Tour de Langkawi this year. It’s kind of a heritage. It’s always been a lot of sprint stages and it still is. I think it’s great to see. Nine is a lot but we go with a great team for that so it’s perfect.”

“Langkawi is great! It’s very relaxed. It’s a very serious race of course but in a very relaxed atmosphere. Malaysian fans are great and really in to it. I had a lot of success there, so people know my name and remember me winning many times. It’s really nice. It’s a good race with good weather, a little bit humid but on nice roads.”

Brown is adamant that he won’t try to get his record back. “I really enjoy my job as a lead out man”, he stated. “I don’t have the speed I had when I was young. It wouldn’t make sense that I’d race as a sprinter now because Theo always beat me when I sprinted against him. To me it’s logic. I feel less pressure but I still have some pressure. If I don’t put Theo in the right spot, he can’t win the race. He always relies on what I do in the last kilometer. It’s great when he wins of course.”

“You have to remember that only a few years ago he was a track sprinter. It takes some time. He was racing 200 metres and now he’s racing 200 kilometres. He beat the world’s best sprinters [Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish] two weeks before the Tour de France last year. Definitely in the Asian races he’s really good. He has the Tour of Qatar to get ready for Le Tour de Langkawi. I really pushed Theo to do this race. He wanted to do Paris-Nice, I said look let’s do Langkawi, let’s try to win some races, it’s a great race with good weather. Hopefully he doesn’t get sick this year.” Brown added.

“It’s very exciting to see Brown and Bos coming back to Malaysia”, chief operating officer of Le Tour de Langkawi Emir Abdul Jalal commented. “Belkin also entered Steven Kruijswijk for riding GC and Jack Bobridge as part of the lead out train with Rick Flens and Dennis van Winden who are the experts in paving the way for Brown and Bos. Bobridge is another cycling super star.”

“In Malaysia we are also very keen on watching track cycling, so to have the world record holder for the individual pursuit (4km) is a great honor for us.” Emir added.

BELKIN PRO CUCLING TEAM FOR THE 2014 LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI:
Theo BOS (NED), Greame BROWN (AUS), Rik FLENS (NED), Jack BOBRIDGE (AUS), Steven KRUIJSWIJK (NED) and Dennis VAN WINDEN (NED).

Organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, via the National Sports Council (NSC) in association with the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF). The 19th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from February 27 to March 8, 2014 is set to cover a total distance of 1,507.9km over 10 stages, the UCI 2.HC (hors category) race featuring again as one of the biggest events on the UCI Asia Tour calendar.

Feb 4, 2014

TM CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR MALAYSIAN CYCLISTS

L-R : Emir Abdul Jalal (Chief Operating Officer, Le Tour De Langkawi), Dato’ Hj Abdul Jalil Abdullah (National Sports Council Director of Sports), Dato’ Rozalila Abdul Rahman (Chief Marketing Officer, TM) and Datuk Zaini Maatan (Vice President, TM Selangor).

BUKITJALIL, 4 February 2014 - National telecommunications giant Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) continuesits association with Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2014 with a focus onbringing the best out of local talents.

TMwill again this year provide incentives for the best Malaysian riders in the 19thedition of the race, which will be flagged off in Langkawi on February 27and ends on March 2 in Kuala Terengganu.

Presentat the announcement of TM’s involvement in this year’s LTdL was Dato’ RozalilaAbdul Rahman, Chief Marketing Officer, TM, together with Dato’ Hj Abdul Jalil Abdullah, National Sports Council Director ofSports and Emir Abdul Jalal,Chief Operating Officer, Le Tour De Langkawi.
“TMis proud to bring the three (3) awards again this year to recognise the bestamongst our Malaysian riders. This portrays our continued commitment towardsthe development of our local athletes, specifically in cycling, and we hopethat all Malaysian riders participating in LTdL 2014 will give their best toget their hands on the awards while maintaining healthy competition spirit andsportsmanship.”

“Inaddition to the awards, TM is also once again participating as the OfficialTelecommunications Provider for the race and we will be equipping theSecretariat and Media Centre at each stage with telecommunication facilities – fixedline telephones, fax, as well as Internet access, both wired and wireless,”added Dato’ Rozalila.

Whilethe 11 Malaysians competing in this year's race will also be eager to challengefor the overall, points, mountains and Asian riders' classifications, TMwill add spice to the challenge by offering again awards for the bestMalaysian rider overall, sprinter and best climber.

Theawards - TM Best Malaysian Sprinter (Raja Pecut), TM Best Malaysian Climber(Raja Bukit) and TM Overall Malaysian Champion - will again carry a totalprize package of RM10,000.


AdiqHusainie Othman, who emerged the best Malaysian rider in the overall standingslast year while riding for the Champion System Pro Cycling Team, returnsthis year with the Terengganu Cycling Team, while the battle for the topsprinter is also set to be contested by the Terengganu Cycling Team pair ofHarrif Saleh and last year's winner Anuar Manan.

Harrifsaid this award provides Malaysian riders an extra incentive to look forward towhile still targeting overall contests.

"Forme, I've been fired up for this race since we began preparation for the newseason. I am really determined to win a stage this time around. It will bean exciting battle with Anuar to emerge the Best Malaysian sprinter, butyou can't discount the other riders as well," said Harrif, 25.

LohSea Keong, who emerged the Best Malaysian Climber last year, will not be aroundthis time as he will be beginning his season with Dutch UCI Pro TeamGiant-Shimano.

Thebattle for the best climber will thus be expected to be between Adiq Husainie,another of his teammates Saufi Mat Senan and the Malaysian national team'spair of Mohd Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi and Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkifle.

LTdLchief operating officer Emir Abdul Jalal said TM's incentives are expected todrive the local riders to perform better and not just outdo themselves,but move them up in the overall competition as well.

"Youcan say that it is a battle between the Malaysians, but I think this could bewhat is needed to raise the performances of the local riders. Whilebattling among themselves, I hope the competitiveness will push them toall perform better in the overall standings," said Emir.

Organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, viathe National Sports Council (NSC) in association with the Malaysian NationalCycling Federation (MNCF). The 19th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) fromFebruary 27 to March 8, 2014 is set to cover a total distance of 1,507.9km over 10 stages, the UCI 2.HC (horscategory) race featuring again as one of the biggest events on the UCI AsiaTour calendar.

ORICA-GREENEDGE BACKS 2013 RUNNER UP PIETER WEENING

Aidis Kroupis

Brett Lancaster
Pieter Weening climbing Genting Highlands in 2013

BUKIT JALIL, 29 January 2014 - While the 2013 overall winner JulianArredondo from Colombia has moved on to Trek Factory Racing and confirmed histalent by winning stage 2 of the Tour de San Luis that opened the 2014 seasonon the America Tour, runner up Peter Weening will make his return to Le Tour deLangkawi will the clear intention of stepping up to the top position when therace will come to a conclusion in Kuala Terengganu on March 8 after a ten dayjourney from the Paradisiacal island of Langkawi.

The last Dutchman to have won a stage at the Tour deFrance (in 2005) and is also a former pink jersey wearer at the Giro d’Italia(in 2011) and last year’s overall winner of World Tour race Tour of Poland hasfallen in love with Malaysia and asked the management of his Australian team Orica-GreenEdgeto include him again in their line-up for LTdL. “After finishing second lastyear, Peter wants to go one step higher”, explained team manager Shayne Bannanwho has been a long-time supporter of the Asian H.C. race since he directed theAustralian Institute of Sport on these roads in 1998.

Orica-GreenEdge also features Colombian super climberEsteban Chavez who won the Tour de l’Avenir in 2011 following the path of hiscompatriot Nairo Quintana. But his capacities to perform remain unknown as hesustained a terrible crash at the Laigueglia Trophy in Italy in February lastyear and hasn’t raced again since.

“Weening is definitely our GC contender”, Bannancontinued. “He really enjoyed Le Tour de Langkawi last year. His pre-season isgoing a lot better than what it was last year. Chavez will support him up toGenting Highlands and he’ll use this race to build his confidence for thefuture.”

Orica-GreenEdge will also take a sprinter on board asthey see “a lot of opportunities for [Lithuania’s] Aidis Kruopis” who will havethe crème de la crème as a lead out man with Brett Lancaster who won stage 3from Tapah to Raub ten years ago and escorted Graeme Brown on his numerousMalaysian successes.

The Australian outfit will also have two timetriallists to close the gaps and prepare for bunch sprints with U23 worldchampion Damian Howson and Sam Bewley. “In Malaysia, we always enjoy the goodweather and the excellent level of organization”, Bannan mentioned. “It’s afantastic event to prepare for the rest of the season.”
“This is a super team”, noted LTdL chief operatingofficer Emir Abdul Jalal. “We couldn’t hope for a better support fromAustralia’s only World Tour team. In their second participation, we can be surethat they have all it takes to handle the pressure of being hot favorites forthe race.”

ORICA-GREENEDGEFOR THE 2014 LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI:
BEWLEY Sam (NZL), CHAVES RUBIO Jhoan Esteban(COL), KRUOPIS Aidis (LTU), LANCASTER Brett (AUS), WEENING Pieter (NED), HOWSON Damien (AUS)

Organisedby the Ministry of Youth and Sports, via the National Sports Council (NSC) inassociation with the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF). The 19thedition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from February 27 to March 8, 2014 is setto cover a total distance of 1,507.9kmover 10stages, the UCI 2.HC (hors category) race featuring again as one of the biggestevents on the UCI Asia Tour calendar.