PUTRAJAYA, Oct 4 — The prestigious cycling race Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL26) has carved out a proud success while achieving the organisers’ targets, despite presenting the most challenging route featuring three difficult climbing zones: Gunung Jerai, Cameron Highlands, and Genting Highlands.
LTdL Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emir Abdul Jalal said this year’s edition received high recognition through a comprehensive evaluation by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Commissary Panel, led by Paul Watson.
“Paul Watson was very impressed with our organisation, especially from the standpoint of safety, which was tightly controlled by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and described as flawless without any issues.
“In fact, he also praised our race manual documentation, describing it as so complete that it was considered better than the Tour de France race manual,” he told reporters at the final stage of the race here today.
Based on this positive feedback, Emir said his team is optimistic that this year’s LTdL is on the right track to once again maintain the highest ‘all green’ grade rating from the world governing body.
Elaborating on the technical aspects, he admitted that there was initial apprehension when introducing a new route at Gunung Jerai alongside other traditional hilly routes.
However, concerns regarding the ability of local riders to beat the time limit were dispelled when all 15 national riders from the national squad, Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC), and St George successfully completed the ride all the way to Stage 8.
At the same time, Emir said the competition in this edition of LTdL was very dynamic, thus satisfying international professional teams as it featured an open and balanced race without being dominated by certain riders. — Bernama
