KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s national road cycling squad will carry a two-pronged mission at the prestigious Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2025, scheduled from Sept 28 to Oct 5.
National head coach Mohd Yusof Abdul Nasir said the team is being realistic in setting its targets, with the main focus on achieving the best results in the Asian rankings while also aiming to place riders among the leading group in selected stages.
He said past achievements by Malaysian riders such as Anuar Manan and Harrif Salleh proved that stage victories are possible, and this time the spotlight is on young rider Kee Zhe Yie, seen as having the potential to shine on the Fraser’s Hill climb.
“Every time we join LTdL, we must be realistic. For me, the Asian level is a target within reach. Anything can happen in cycling. Before this, Anuar and Harrif both won stages, so it’s not impossible for Kee to deliver something special at Fraser’s Hill.
“We will give our best to achieve this. All the teams in LTdL are strong, so strategy, experience and the riders’ instincts in climbing and sprint finishes are crucial,” he told reporters at the National Sports Council (MSN) in Bukit Jalil today.
Mohd Yusof said several Malaysian riders have been identified to take on different challenges across flat, climbing and demanding stages.
He pointed out that apart from Stage Five from Temerloh to Fraser’s Hill (123.1km), Stage Three from Gerik to Pasir Puteh (198.2km) and the final stage from Tangkak to Kuala Lumpur (180.2km) will be key.
“Normally, foreign riders recover from jet lag by the fourth or fifth stage, but we will try to give our best from the start until the finish.
“We are not the biggest team, so our focus will be on specific stages. The Gerik and Fraser’s Hill stages are crucial to secure the Asian team position, while the final stage is also very tough. In all three, we must ensure our riders are up front,” he said.
The six-man national squad consists of Muhammad Elmi Jumari, Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal, Zhe Yie, Muhammad Iqmal Mohd Zarawi, Muhammad Yusri Shaari and Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin.
As one of Asia’s most prestigious races, LTdL25, which holds 2.ProSeries status in the UCI Asia Tour calendar, will attract 22 teams from across the globe.
Covering a total distance of 1,224.2km, LTdL25 will span all 12 states in Peninsular Malaysia, starting in Langkawi on Sept 28 and concluding at KLCC on Oct 5.
— BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
