Deputy director-general of the National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC), Ariffin Mohd Ghani (3rd left) and Antah Group Board Director, Tunku Khairul Zaim Tunku Naquiyuddin (3rd from right) posing a group photo after press conference on the Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 at Majlis Sukan Negara, Kuala Lumpur. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Get set for fast and furious action in the 29th edition of the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from Sept 28 to Oct 5.
This year's edition will be one of the most competitive in recent years with the confirmation of three WorldTeams (WT) and eight ProTeams (PT).
National Sports Council (NSC) deputy director general Arrifin Ghani said that although there will be no summit finishes he is confident the competition will stay fierce, with every team vying for stage wins.
"With a total of nine teams who have raced in the Grand Tours, we can expect strong and exciting competition each day - from Stage 1 in Langkawi to the final Stage 8 at the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC)," said Arrifin during the team announcement press conference.
"Although there will be no Hors Categorie climb to Genting Highlands for the second year running, Stage 3 (Gerik-Pasir Puteh) and Stage 5 (Temerloh-Fraser’s Hill) will be the key battlegrounds in the fight for the overall individual classification and King of the Mountains jersey.
"In fact, the battle is expected to continue until the final days, especially with Stage 7 featuring the longest distance of 214.6km from Melaka to Medini followed by the final stage covering 180km from Tangkak to KLCC."
The three confirmed WorldTeams are XDS Astana Team (Kazakhstan), Team Picnic PostNL (Holland), previously known as DSM-Firmenich PostNL, and Cofidis (France).
A total of 22 teams will compete in the eight-day race, including 10 continental teams and the Malaysian national team.
According to Arrifin, six of the eight ProTeams also race in the three Grand Tours – Total Energies, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, and Uno-X Mobility (Tour de France); VF Group–Bardiani CSF-Faizane and Team Polti VisitMalta (Giro d’Italia); and Burgos-BH (Vuelta a Espana).
The two other ProTeams are newcomers Unibet Tietama Rockets (France) and Team Solution Tech-Vini Fantini (Italy).
Adding to the excitement will be 10 continental teams, including local outfits Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) and Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) alongside the Malaysian national team.
Arrifin is optimistic that every team will field their best riders and that the 2025 LTdL will remain a major attraction for cycling enthusiasts.
“Although teams have yet to submit their full six-man rider lists, we believe LTdL 2025 will still capture the attention of many cycling enthusiasts due to its high level of competition across Asia.
"In fact, the organisers themselves are eagerly awaiting the finalised team rosters. From those names, we can gauge each team's strategy and objectives - whether they're targeting stage wins, overall individual standings, team classifications, King of the Mountains or the sprint jersey," he added.
Also returning to heat up the competition in this Asian ProSeries race are seven familiar continental teams - Nusantara-BYC (Indonesia), HKSI Pro Cycling Team (Hong Kong), Aisan Racing Team (Japan), KSPO Professional (South Korea), and St George Continental Cycling Team (Australia), along with 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike (the Philippines), Thailand Continental Cycling Team (Thailand), and new entrants Chengdu DYC Cycling Team (China).
