NSC boss: LTdL to cost more than RM15mil

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2024 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) is expected to cost over RM15mil when the 28th edition of the race starts from Langkawi Island and ends in Bintulu, Sarawak.

The tour will be held from Sept 29 to Oct 6.

National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub said the total cost will be higher than last year’s edition because it has to cover logistics costs involving flights to Langkawi Island and Sarawak.

“I can’t reveal the actual figure because the cost is a bit high but we (NSC) have our own budget. But sometimes the budget for organising LTdL can change at any time. Our budget of RM15mil can only do four to five stages of the race especially on the peninsula only.

“This time the 28th edition of the race is a little different because we will cross the sea by holding the race in Langkawi Island and Sarawak. Therefore, the budget will be focused on logistics which will push up the cost,” he said at the Tourism Malaysia Smart Partnership & Sponsorship Announcement Ceremony and LTdL 2024 media conference at MSN Bukit Jalil here today.

In the last edition, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) only allocated RM8mil, but as the organiser, NSC needed a larger budget of around RM15mil to RM16mil to make the world-class race a success.

In the 25th edition of the race which took place in 2020, the cost of organising LTdL shot up when it needed an allocation of around RM20mil after the race also entered Sabah and Sarawak before its climax in Langkawi Island.

Rashid said the sponsorship to organise the prestigious race is going well.

He said, for the time being, Tourism Malaysia agreed to continue the strategic collaboration with a sponsorship worth RM1mil to become the holder of the Polka Dot King of the Mountain jersey.

“We will make an announcement related to sponsorship, but I cannot announce the amount yet because some are still in discussion and some have not fully announced how much they want to give, there are sponsors who do not yet have a sponsorship figure.

This year’s 1,190km race will see Langkawi Island again listed in the race route in addition to the two stages that were held for the first time in Sarawak, namely Miri and Bintulu.

It will start in Langkawi for the first stage, followed by the second stage Arau to Butterworth, Taiping to Cameron Highland (Stage 3), Kuala Kubu Baru to Bentong (Stage 4), Kuala Lumpur to Melaka (Stage 5), Batu Pahat to Kulai (Stage 6), PeMiri to Bintulu (Stage 7), Bintulu (Stage 8). — Bernama