SHAH ALAM, Friday 29 January 2016 : All continents will be represented at the 21st Le
Tour de Langkawi to be held from February 24 to March 2nd on a
scenic route via Penang, the Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur and Malacca for an
unprecedented grand finale in Malaysia’s historical city.
“We have chosen our invited teams carefully so that the whole world will
be watching our country”, said the CEO of Le Tour de Langkawi Emir Abdul Jalal.
“It’ll come at a time when cycling gets a great exposure worldwide because it’s
the beginning of the season in the lead up to the Grand Tours. Fans are
impatient to discover the new teams and which riders are on form.”
World Tour teams have once again expressed their interest for the 20
year old Malaysian event with returning Astana, Tinkoff and Dimension Data. The
latter has recently been promoted to the highest ranks of international
cycling. They are the defending champions of Le Tour de Langkawi, having won it
last year with Algeria’s Youcef Reguigui when the squad was still called
MTN-Qhubeka.
“Newly created teams have participated to the fame of Le Tour de
Langkawi as they made history on our roads like Tinkoff claim their very first
pro win with Pavel Brutt in 2007 in Seremban”, Emir recalled. “In that
perspective, we’re delighted to give a chance to One Pro Cycling, Roth and
Funvic-Soul-Carrefour who are new in the pro continental ranks.
Funvic-Soul-Carrefour will be the first ever team from Brazil taking part in Le
Tour de Langkawi. It’s nice of them come to Malaysia the year that the whole
world will go to Brazil for the Olympic Games.”
Funvic-Soul-Carrefour represents South America, Unitedhealthcare is from
North America, Drapac hails from Oceania, Skydive Dubai comes from the Middle
East while there will be a flavor of both Western and Eastern Europe with
Italy’s Androni, Southeast and Bardiani competing against Russia’s Astana and
Tinkoff.
Asia has the largest contingent with 11 teams on the start list. “We
don’t forget our roots”, Emir insisted. “Le Tour de Langkawi is Asia’s premier
bicycle race. It’s the oldest UCI H.C. stage race on this continent. Cycling is
booming in this part of the world. With all the requests we received, we could
have filled up the start list with European teams only but we believe it’s our
duty to make half of the field Asian and give the Asian cyclists the
opportunity to challenge Tour de France giants Astana, Tinkoff and Dimension
Data.”
All Asian countries with a strong cycling culture will make their way to
Alor Setar for the teams presentation on February 23rd alongside the
three Malaysian teams: Hong Kong, which is last week’s double winner of the
Asian championship with Cheung King Lok in both Elite time trial and road race,
China (Hengxiang and Giant-Champion System), Japan (Aisan), Korea (KSPO, a
stage winning team in 2015 with Seo Joon Yong in Kuantan), Indonesia (with last
year’s teams champions Pegasus) and the Philippines (7-Eleven) after a long
absence.
“We have a very well balanced field that will give a chance to cyclists
from very different horizons. With the Asian teams competition being contested
by more teams than ever, it’ll make the race very intense from start to
finish”, Emir concluded.
THE 22 TEAMS FOR THE 2016 LE TOUR DE
LANGKAWI:
|
No.
|
TEAMS
|
|
WORLD TOUR (3)
|
|
|
1
|
ASTANA PRO TEAM (AST) – KAZ
|
|
2
|
TINKOFF (TNK) - RUS
|
|
3
|
DIMENSION DATA (DDD) - RSA
|
|
PROFESSIONAL CONTINENTAL (8)
|
|
|
4
|
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI - SIDERMEC (AND) – ITA
|
|
5
|
SOUTHEAST - VENEZUELA (STH) - ITA
|
|
6
|
UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM (UHC) – USA
|
|
7
|
DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING (DPC) - AUS
|
|
8
|
ONE PRO CYCLING (UK)
|
|
9
|
BARDIANI CSF (BAR) - ITA
|
|
10
|
TEAM ROTH (ROT) - SUI
|
|
11
|
FUNVIC SOUL CYCLES - CARREFOUR (FSC) - BRA
|
|
CONTINENTAL (10)
|
|
|
12
|
TERENGGANU CYCLING TEAM (TSG) – MAS
|
|
13
|
AISAN RACING TEAM (AIS) - JPN
|
|
14
|
HENGXIANG CYCLING TEAM(HEN) - CHN
|
|
15
|
PEGASUS CONTINENTAL CYCLING TEAM (PCT) - INA
|
|
16
|
KSPO (KSP) - KOR
|
|
17
|
NSC-MYCRON TEAM (NSC) - MAS
|
|
18
|
GIANT - CHAMPION SYSTEM PRO CYCLING (MSS) - CHN
|
|
19
|
TEAM 7-ELEVEN-SAVA RBP PHILIPPINES (T7E) - PHI
|
|
20
|
SKYDIVE DUBAI PRO CYCLING TEAM (SKD) - UAE
|
|
21
|
HKSI PRO TEAM - CHN
|
|
NATIONAL (1)
|
|
|
22
|
MALAYSIA
|
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