Two French ProTeams’ return to make LTdL more exciting

PETALING JAYA: Two French ProTeams, TotalEnergies and Unibet Tietema Rockets, will make their return to the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from Sept 28 to Oct 5 after years away from Asia’s premier cycling tour.

TotalEnergies, previously known as Bonjour, Bouygues Telecom and Europcar, were a familiar presence in Langkawi in the early 2000s before rebranding in 2016 and gaining ProTeam status in 2020. Unibet, who last featured in 2007 as Unibet.com, revived their project only last year after a long hiatus.

Their comeback has stirred excitement, with both teams tipped to mount strong challenges in the general classification (GC) and team standings.

TotalEnergies, who have chalked up eight wins and 35 podiums this year, will count on climbers Joris Delbove, Alan Jousseaume, Nicola Mancerou and Britain’s Adam Mitchell, with experienced sprinters Lorenzo Manzin and Jason Tesson spearheading their sprint hopes.

Unibet, meanwhile, are banking on a climbing-heavy line-up led by Adrien Maire, Giovanni Carboni and Odd Christian Eiking, with Cedric Bakke Christophersen, Owen Geleijn and Zeb Kyffin.

“We expect both French teams to bring their own unique strategies, especially with riders rich in European racing experience,” said LTdL chief operating officer Emir Abdul Jalal in a statement.

The eight-stage race will cover 1,224.2km across all 12 states in Peninsular Malaysia, starting in Langkawi on Sept 28 and ending at KLCC Twin Tower on Oct 5.