ASIA’s oldest bicycle race, Le Tour de Langkawi has surpassed the expectations of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in all aspects, recording many milestones over the years.

Reflecting on its journey, Dr Mahathir said the race has fulfilled its objectives to showcase Malaysia and Langkawi as a tourism destination as well as a sporting hub.

Recognised as being on par with cycling races in Europe, the Langkawi race has attracted many top riders and World Tour and Pro Continental teams over the years. 

“Since its inception 24 years ago, a total of 232 stages of the race have been organised throughout Malaysia. 

“As a result, not only are Malaysia and Langkawi now firmly placed in the world map as a must-go destination, other districts in Malaysia that the cyclists pedalled through have benefited as well. The world sees the Malaysian countryside as much as the well-known towns and cities,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi 2020 today.

The prime minister also announced that the race would return to Sabah and Sarawak after its first and only appearance in the two states in 1997. 

He said the race through Sabah and Sarawak would add colour to the race with their unique landscapes and people.

Dr Mahathir said besides seeing future world champions emerging in  the race, the iconic event has also contributed to producing world-class champions such as Anuar Manan, who became the first Malaysian to win a stage and donned the green jersey (Sprint King) in 2010.

“This year, we also saw a similar feat repeated by Mohd Harrif Salleh, who is from team Terengganu Incorporated Cycling (TSG), Asia’s top-ranked Continental team.

“I believe these success stories have served as an inspiration for many Malaysians. Cycling has become more popular now in Malaysia. In this context, I would like to urge the organiser to tap into this huge interest in  the race by taking the relevant initiatives to develop cycling as the preferred sport amongst the young,” he said.

The prime minister commended the organisers for introducing two additional races on the occasion of the race’s silver jubilee –  the Criterium International and Malaysia Classic, which would make their debut this year.

The Criterium International is for the Under-23 (U23) category of riders with a UCI elite-racing license, further enhancing Malaysia as the place to discover future cycling champions while the Malaysia Classic, dubbed the “Race of the Champions” would feature national champions from all over the world. 

“Surely this will be a one of a kind competition as it has never been organised anywhere else.

“I trust that both events would strengthen Malaysia’s position as one of the cycling powerhouses in Southeast Asia and provide wider international publicity to Malaysia beyond  the race,” he said.

Dr Mahathir also welcomed back the race title sponsor, Petronas.

“A sincere thank you to all the sponsors for your generosity and we hope the same cooperation would be extended to  the race in the future,” he added.

Asia’s biggest cycling race will take place Feb 7-14, over a total distance of 1,095km across Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah. – Bernama, November 23, 2019.