IPOH (Malaysia), March 20 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s premier cycling tour race – Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) – is set to return in June this year after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu said so far, five teams had registered, and more than 20, including 18 from abroad, had said they were ready to participate in the race.
“We have set the rule that all participants must be vaccinated or face problems to enter our country. In fact, they (international participants) may even face a problem of flying out of their country,” he said at a press conference after officiating the LTdL 2022 Route Introduction ceremony here Sunday.
According to Ahmad Faizal, the 26th edition of the UCI ProSeries status competition was scheduled to be held from June 11 to 18, with the route spanning 1,183 kilometres (km) involving eight stages around areas in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Langkawi.
He said although the pandemic had not fully subsided, the ministry, event organiser Human Voyage and the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) had decided to go ahead with the 2022 competition to continue the tradition and continuity of LTdL as the country’s most prestigious cycling tour.
Asked about the standard operating procedures (SOP) during the race, Ahmad Faizal said it was possible that the ministry would provide some flexibility as the country transitioned towards the endemic phase, and all parties were urged to observe the set SOP.
“I think during the flagging off and end of the race, the organisers have to follow the SOP set by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health, including for members of the public and fans along the side of the road,” he said.
The LTdL is a Pro Series race, which is one notch below the highest category, namely the UCl World Tour Series, which includes the Tour de France, Giro d’ltalia, Vuelta Espana, and Classic competitions.
Unlike the 2020 edition which started in Kuching, Sarawak, LTdL 2022 returns to the Peninsula and will be concentrated along the West Coast starting in Kuala Lumpur.
The tough climbing route from Kuah town to Gunung Raya in Langkawi will be another one to watch out for the race before it finishes with the loop route in Langkawi.
Since its inception in 1996 as a category 2.6 race, LTdL has been the venue of choice for teams and professional riders including cycling greats from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Britain and other European countries.
— NNN-BERNAMA