KUALA LUMPUR, 9 September – China Continental setup Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Cycling Team is coming in with serious intent to ‘redeem’ themselves at Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL2026), set to flag off on 27 September.
Riders and teams registered under the Chinese flag have largely struggled to make a major impact in LTdL since Wang Meiyin – then riding for Hengxiang Cycling Team shocked the peloton by winning Stage 3 at Cameron Highlands in 2013.
Since then, the Chinese outfits have found it tough to mount a sustained challenge, even when multiple Chinese entries received invitations. In 2024, for instance, Hengxiang and Li Ning Star finished 16th and 19th in the Team Overall classification respectively.
Chengdu themselves competing under the Chengdu DYC banner last year, entered five riders, but only Li Chaoyi managed to complete all eight stages, while his four teammates suffered early eliminations.
Rebranded under new title sponsors as Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu this season, the squad led by Team Manager Zheng Xing, has undergone a major overhaul this season. Leading their campaign at this year;s LTdL is experienced Ecuadorian climber Jonathan Klever Caicedo Cepeda, 33.
Recruited in June this year, Caicedo brings five years of WorldTeam experience with EF Education. His resume features a Stage 3 victory at the 2020 Giro d’Italia, overall titles at the 2024 Vuelta Bantrab and Vuelta a Tachira and four Ecuadorian National Championship crowns (including the Individual Time Trial).
The 10-time career winner who has featured in eight Grand Tours and four Classics, comes off a major victory after capturing the General Classification title at the Tour of Qinghai Lake in July, supported by two runner-up stage finishes (Stages 3 and 5).
Reinforcing the squad on the climbs alongside Caicedo are versatile all-rounders Petr Rikunov, 29; Andrei Stepanov, 27; and Mongolian rider Bold Iderbold, 28.
Rikunov, a former RusVelo-Gazprom rider who joined Chengdu in 2024, won back-to-back general classification titles at the Tour of Poyang Lake in 2024 and 2025, and secured 3rd overall at the China-Xizang Trans-Himalaya race last month.
Stepanov, also with the team since 2024, recently claimed 2nd place at the national-level Pro Cycling League China-Han Feng Shu stage race.
Iderbold, signed in March from Huansheng-Vonoa-Taishan Sport, placed 3rd at the Mongolian National Championships and 24th overall at the Tour of Qinghai Lake earlier this season.
Meanwhile, Li Chaoyi, 23, alongside former Li Ning rider Shao Junqi, 27, will lead the squad’s hopes in the flat bunch sprint finishes.
LTdL2026 Secretariat Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emir Abdul Jalal noted that Caicedo’s signing adds significant power to the Chinese setup that had previously flown under the radar.
“China boasts a large number of registered Continental teams, but many focus primarily on domestic races or regional tours in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
“However, after a tough debut last year, Chengdu made a strategic move by signing Caicedo. That decision immediately paid off with an overall victory at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, and he is now set to line up for LTdL2026.
“With Caicedo’s pedigree and current form, Chengdu is sending a clear warning to the WorldTeam and ProTeam contenders that they are here to fight for the General Classification leader’s jersey,” said Emir.
The 30th edition of LTdL2026, classified as a 2.ProSeries event, flags off on 27 September in Shah Alam and concludes with Stage 8 in Putrajaya on 4 Oktober, covering a total distance of 1,285.5km.
The event is co-organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN) in partnership with the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
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