Orange jersey in Saudi shows Kee can unlock great potential

PETALING JAYA: Young Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) rider Kee Zhe Yie began his 2026 campaign on a high note by claiming the orange jersey for the most active rider at the Alula Tour in Saudi Arabia, which concluded on Saturday.

Over five days of racing, the 23-year-old accumulated nine points, narrowly beating Team Jayco Alula’s Dries de Bondt, who finished second with just a two-point gap.

TSG Sports Director Saiful Anuar Aziz said the result showed Zhe Yie is already capable of challenging more experienced riders, even at the start of his professional career.

“I am very pleased to see Zhe Yie prove that at such a young age, he can win a jersey in a race at this level.

“This is his first year competing at the ProSeries with us, where the competition is much stronger than in UCI 2.1 or 2.2 events,” said Saiful.

Zhe Yie also managed to finish the race in 75th place during the fifth and final stage, a 163.9km stretch from AlUla to Harrat Uwayrid.

His teammate, Juan Pedro Lozano, impressed with a fourth-place finish in the stage, despite the dominance of WorldTeam squads throughout the Alula Tour.

“Overall, I am satisfied with the team’s performance here, especially with Juan Pedro Lozano finishing fourth in the final stage,” he said.

Zhe Yie returns to TSG this season after spending last year with Spanish team Caja Rural-Alea and later joining the Malaysian national squad for the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL).