KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 – Having claimed one stage win last year, French ProTeam Unibet Rose Rockets are seen as capable of making more waves at the 30th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL26), which begins this September 27.
This is because the six-rider lineup, led by manager Joram Grootveld this time, includes four capable climbers and two sprint specialists, painting a picture of bigger ambitions compared to the single stage win earned by Zeb Kyffin on Stage 7 at last year’s edition.
Leading Unibet’s challenge, who finished second overall last year, is 24 year-old Norwegian rider Cedrik Bakke Christophersen, who placed fifth overall at LTdL25, and 25-year-old Dutch-born rider Owen Geleijn, who finished 22nd.
The LTdL25 riding experience will also be shared by 25 year-old German rider Peter Jannis and 23 year-old Norwegian rider Eivend Broholt Fougner, especially on the climbing routes.
The two sprint specialists capable of making surprises on the flat routes are 31 year-old Irish rider Rory Townsend and 22 year-old young French rider Ronan Auge.
However, it’s quite interesting and not impossible that a last-minute changes could occur, as the Zwolle- based team and known as Unibet Tietema Rockets last year, has also listed 38 year-old star rider Wout Poels, who has tasted Grand Tour stage wins at the 2023 Tour de France and 2023 Vuelta a Espana, alongside another accomplished climber from Czechia, Adam Toupalik.
LTdL26 Secretariat Chief Operating Officer, Emir Abdul Jalal, said the list submitted by Unibet this time appears more inclined toward dominating the three summit-finish climbing stages at Gunung Jerai, Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands.
“This team will definitely have done their ‘homework’ earlier before deciding which riders to send to LTdL26, as it differs from last year, which had only one relatively easy climb to Bukit Fraser.
“Wout Poels’ name on the reserve rider list confirms they are serious about creating a bigger impact this time, as Poels who has experience with WorldTeam Vacansoleil since 2011, before joining Sky, Bahrain Merida and Astana, and has amassed 26 career wins, is a big and respected name on the international stage.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if Unibet decided to list Poels at the last minute after assessing this year’s route profile and the names of rivals from other teams,” he said in a statement.
Christophersen, who finished just 11 seconds behind LTdL25 winner Joris Delbove (TotalEnergies), is also seen to be in top form, especially after securing a stage win at the Arctic Race of Norway last month and placing eighth overall there.
Besides Christophersen, General Classification (GC) hopes can also be pinned on Fougner, who looks sharp after finishing 14th overall at the Tour of Sibiu and second in the King of the Mountains standings at the Tour de l’Ain last July.
Jannis, who joins Unibet this year, recorded a solid eighth place finish at this year’s Tour of Sibiu and is expected to bring the experience he gained with the Vorarlberg team, which won stages at the Tour of Czech and Oberosterreich last year.
Besides serving as support riders in the early climbing stages, former Q36.5 riders Townsend and Auge who claimed a stage win at La Route d’Occitanie last June, are seen as capable of rivaling other teams’ sprint specialists on flat finishes.
LTdL26, a 2.ProSeries-status race, will begin with Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar on September 27, and conclude with Stage 8, Muar-Putrajaya, on October 4, covering a total distance of 1,285.5km.
This 30th edition of LTdL26 is jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
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