Cyclists during the L'Etape Malaysia
DESARU: It has been dubbed as the ‘’mini Tour de France’’.
The L’Etape Malaysia, touted as ‘’the world’s greatest amateur cycling event’’ was held on Saturday at the picturesque Desaru Coast and it saw the participation of 4,700 cyclists.
The tour, which has been organised in over 20 countries including France, China, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil and Australia, was finally staged successfully in Malaysia for the first time.
Mohd Elmi Jumari was crowned the men’s champion in the 140km individual category with a time of 3’11:11, while Yeong Zhen Yi crossed the line as the champion in the women’s category with a time of 3:14:29.
Elmi was surprised with his victory, as he had taken part only to help his friend.
“My friend and I both reached the final stretch together, and I managed to win it by a whisker. I certainly did not expect this, as I only came to help him.
“I would like to thank the Royal Malaysian Police as their employee, to allow me to train full time for this event,” said the 30-year-old.
Elmi’s reward is an all-expenses paid trip and participation in the LEtape Du Tour de France 2023.
It was not only an unforgettable experience for the riders, but they also got to revel in several exciting events in the lead-up and on race day, which featured cultural performances from Warisan Johor, French Music Performances and French Pastry Classes that took place at the Festival Village from June 3-4, which attracted 10,000 visitors.
LEtape Malaysia co-organiser Muse Group Asia and Sports Johor Sdn Bhd was thrilled with the success of this debut event, which had generated RM13mil.
“We were excited to bring this event to Malaysia but we didn’t know how big it could be until we saw its success this weekend. We couldn’t have asked for a more successful participation from both the amateur and seasoned riders,” said Muse Group Asia chief executive officer Riduwan Matni.
