KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 – The organiser of PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2024 (LTdL), the National Sports Council (NSC) is proud to announce Tourism Malaysia will continue its Strategic Partnership and becomes the rights holder of the King of the Mountain Polka Dot Jersey for this year’s 28th edition of the race.

NSC Director General, Abdul Rashid Yaakub, stated that Tourism Malaysia’s decision to continue this Strategic Partnership clearly proves that it was the right decision, as this partnership has provided significant returns in promotional value, branding, and marketing for Tourism Malaysia.

“Tourism Malaysia will once again be honoured as the sponsor of the ‘King Of The Mountain’ jersey, with their representative presenting the winner’s jersey at each stage of the race,” said Abdul Rashid during the official announcement at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil today. Also present was the Deputy Director General (Planning) of Tourism Malaysia, Saidi Bundan.

Abdul Rashid also commented that the King of the Mountain category remains a very unique and popular jersey in all major world races such as the Tour de France.

It is unique not only because of the absolute strength required to conquer the highest climbs but also due to the rider’s strategic decision making in seizing opportunities, breaking away from the peloton to score points in smaller climbing zones in addition to the main climbs.

This was evident in 2023 when rider Simon Pellaud from the Tudor team won the Tourism Malaysia polka dot jersey, despite losing to overall champion Simon Carr from EF Education in the main climb at Genting Highlands.

This year’s challenge will focus on Cameron Highlands, and Simon Pellaud from the Tudor team will defend his title.

He added that KBS and NSC will continue their partnership through live broadcasts on the world’s leading cycling sports broadcaster, Eurosport, which is watched by hundreds of millions of fans, as well as on local television and social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, offering significant returns on the sponsorship provided.

He also mentioned that the viral effect from the village and school cheerleading programs during the cavalcade procession published on TikTok in 2023 will continue and is expected to bring the “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia” brand closer to the hearts of Malaysians, encouraging them to choose local vacation destinations.

Meanwhile, Saidi said, the decision to collaborate with Petronas LTdL 2023 last season was an excellent move and explained why the Strategic Partnership between both parties continues into 2024.

“The decision to establish this partnership was based on a comprehensive return on investment (ROI) package, especially the opportunity to promote ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ brand globally. This not only includes various cultural attractions, locations, and tourism centers but also presents Malaysia as a prosperous, advanced, and progressive country, helping the government attract international investment and trade.”

“We also appreciate the honour given by the organiser as a Strategic Partner with the rights to the Polka dot Jersey because this King of the Mountain jersey is very popular in any major race worldwide.”

He added that, in addition to this Strategic Partnership, Tourism Malaysia will also bring well-known influencers from Indonesia and Thailand to promote LTdL more creatively and extensively in these neighboring countries.

Tourism Malaysia will also be collaborating with six travel agencies to offer 23 special travel packages in conjunction with LTdL 2024. These packages cover popular destinations such as Langkawi, Penang, Melaka, Bukit Tinggi, Cameron Highlands, Kulai, Bintulu, and Miri. Throughout these packages, tourists will not only enjoy beautiful vacation in attractive locations but also have the opportunity to witness the prestigious LTdL race that travels across the country.

A total of 22 teams, including three WorldTeam, seven ProTeam, nine Continental teams, and three national teams including Malaysia, will compete.

BUKIT JALIL, Aug 16 – Tudor Pro Cycling Team aims to be a major contender in the three main jersey categories, including the General Classification (GC) title at the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024 cycling tour series, which will take place from September 29 to October 6.

The team, which recently unveiled their roster for the LTdL, has included names such Arvid de Kleijn (Netherlands), Simin Pellaud (Switzerland), Sebastian Kolze Changizi (Denmark), Rick Pluimers and Maikel Zijlaard (Netherlands), and Mathys Rondel (France).

Kleijn, who leads the roster for the Swiss-based team, won two stages of last year’s LTdL edition, and is expected to be the top contender for the Sprint Jersey, while teammate Pellaud is one of the favourites to win the Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains).

The year 2024 has been a standout year for de Kleijn, nicknamed ‘Little Gorilla’, with his World Tour debut victory at Stage 2 of Paris-Nice and three podium finishes, including two second place finishings at the UAE Tour.

The inclusion of formidable cyclists such as Pluimers and Zijlaard shows Tudor’s appearance this year is not to just make up the numbers.

The 23-year-old Pluimers has remarkable sprint and climbing abilities, with his best result this year being a second-place finish at Stage 3 of the Gree-Tour of Guangxi, while the 25-year-old Zijlaard is another sprinter with his best performance in the prologue of the Tour de Romandie last April.

Making his debut for Tudor this year is 20 years old French rider, Mathys Rondel who has several GC podium achievements in Europe.

A total of 22 teams including three World Teams – EF Education Easypost from the USA, Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan), and DMS Firminich PostNL (Netherlands) – will spice up the competition at LTdL 2024.

The 28th edition of LTdL 2024 is scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 6, featuring eight stages covering a distance of 1,190 kilometers.

Langkawi Island returns to the route this year, which also includes, for the first time, two race stages to be held in two cities in Sarawak: Miri (Stage Seven) and Bintulu (Stage Eight).

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Ogos – Pelumba berpengalaman negara, Mohd Harrif Saleh sedia menggalas cabaran Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) jika disenaraikan pada perlumbaan Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024.

Harrif berkata, dia sentiasa berada dalam keadaan siap sedia bagi membantu pasukan yang berpangkalan di Terengganu itu pada mana-mana kejohanan selagi kudratnya ditagih.

Menurut Harrif, sekalipun sudah menjengah usia 35 tahun, dia tidak melihat perkara itu sebagai ‘batu penghalang’ buat dirinya untuk terus mencipta kejayaan gemilang bersama TSG.

“Bagi saya itu (umur 35 tahun) hanya sebagai satu angka… tak lebih daripada itu. Saya masih ada tenaga untuk terus berkayuh seterusnya membawa nama TSG ke puncak kejayaan.

“Saya mahu mengikut jejak seperti idola saya, Mark Cavendish. Walaupun sudah berusia 39 tahun, tetapi dia masih mampu menggalas cabaran di peringkat kompetitif. Jadi itu yang saya akan cuba lakukan dalam masa beberapa tahun ini. Selagi khidmat dan kudrat saya diperlukan, selagi itulah saya akan terus berkayuh,” katanya.

Harrif mencipta sejarah tersendiri di pentas LTdL – perlumbaan berbasikal paling berprestij di rantau Asia apabila memegang status sebagai pelumba paling banyak membuat penampilan.

Harrif yang meraih tiga kemenangan peringkat perlumbaan LTdL membuat penampilan ke-14 pada edisi 2023, sekali gus mengatasi rekod 13 penampilan dipegang pelumba Iran, Ghader Mizbani.

Turut berada dalam senarai sejarah penampilan terbanyak LTdL adalah dua bekas pelumba kebangsaan – Annuar Manan dan Loh Sea Keong apabila masing-masing membuat 12 penampilan.

“Seperti yang saya katakan sebelum ini, saya rasa bertuah dan bangga kerana dapat mencipta sejarah sebagai pelumba paling banyak membuat penampilan dalam perlumbaan LTdL. Jika tidak silap, saya mula beraksi (pada LTdL) ketika berusia 20 tahun. Jadi jika sekali lagi mendapat kepercayaan pasukan untuk beraksi tahun ini, ia akan menjadi satu lagi detik Istimewa buat saya.

“Äpa pun, buat masa sekarang saya menjalani latihan seperti biasa. Ada satu kejohanan yang akan disertai di China nanti, jadi saya akan cuba buat yang terbaik,” jelasnya.

Untuk rekod, Harrif atau lebih dikenali dengan panggilan Mamat meraih kemenangan pada Peringat 2 LTdL 2019 dan dua kemenangan lagi masing-masing pada Peringkat 2 dan 5 LTdL 2020.

Dengan tiga kemenangan yang dicapai pada perlumbaan LTdL, Harrif yang juga pakar pecut dianggap antara pelumba terbaik Malaysia dalam sejarah arena berbasikal lebuh raya.

“Perjuangan saya masih belum selesai. Kalau boleh saya mahu meraih lebih banyak kejayaan dalam karier saya khususnya pada perlumbaan LTdL yang diadakan di negara sendiri,” katanya.

Sebanyak 22 pasukan termasuk tiga pasukan berstatus World Team – EF Education Easypost dari Amerika Syarikat, Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan) dan DSM Firminich PostNL (Belanda) bakal menghangatkan LTdL 2024.

LTdL 2024 yang memasuki edisi ke-28 tahun ini dijadualkan berlangsung dari 29 September hingga 6 Oktober depan membabitkan lapan peringkat merangkumi laluan sejauh 1,227.2 kilometer (km).

Pulau Langkawi kembali tersenarai dalam laluan edisi kali ini yang turut menyaksikan dua peringkat perlumbaan julung-julung kalinya bakal dilangsungkan di dua buah bandar di Sarawak iaitu Miri dan Bintulu.

Bukit Jalil, 22 July – The heat of the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024 race is peaking with the confirmation of three teams from the World Team category – expected to display a world class cycling showcase for the Malaysian fans.

The confirmation of the three teams – EF Education Easypost from the United States, Astana Qazaqstan from Kazakhstan and DSM Firmenich PostNL from the Netherlands – completes the list of 22 teams to compete in the 28th edition of the country’s premier cycling race.

The success of attracting three World Teams is a proud achievement for the organizers, the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) compared to the participation of only two World Teams in the previous year.  And all the three teams were making great news at the Tour de France this year.

DSM Firmenich PostNL riders Romain Bardet and Frank van den Broek won the top two spots on the first stage of this year’s Le Tour de France.

EF Education Easypost rider, Richard Carapaz managed to grab the overall leader jersey after the third stage, won his maiden Tour de France stage in Stage 17 and now leading the KOM classification while Astana Qazaqstan’s sprint legend, Mark Cavendish emerged as the winner of the fifth stage in this year’s  Le Tour de France.

Seven teams from the Pro Team category on the list of the International Cycling Union (UCI) have also been confirmed, thus enabling LTdL 2024 to meet the requirements of Pro Series races outside Europe.

Five of the Pro Teams – Polti Kometa (Spain), Tudor Pro Cycling (Switzerland), VF Group-Bardiani CSF- Faizane (Italy), Equipo Kern Pharma (Spain) and Euskaltel Euskadi (Spain) – gained the status of “Grand Tour Pro Team” as they were invited to participate in the Giro de Italia and Vuelta Espana 2024.

Three Malaysian teams will also compete at LTdL 2024, namely the national team, Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) and Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) with a total of 12 national riders having the opportunity to compete with the world’s best riders.