Kota Kinabalu—A mixture of veterans and newcomers are vying for the various jerseys at stake in the 25th Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi.
Returning to the race is St. George Continental Cycling Team’s Blake Quick, who is looking to break the jinx of his last year’s showing.
The young Australian proved that he can compete at a high-level after finishing second twice in the 2019 LTdL.
On the other hand, homegrown talent Harrif Saleh of the TSG Terrenganu Cycling team is aiming for a repeat of his lone stage win in 2019.
His teammate Carlos Quintero promised to give his best for his country as many Columbian riders have taken the previous competitions by storm and emerged victorious. “It is very important for Columbia to win the race as many Columbians have won here (before).”
The NTT Pro Cycling will not feature defending champion Benjamin Dyball, with South Africa’s Louis Meintjes leading their six-man squad instead.
“A lot of South Africans have won here before, but we are looking for any kind of success and we will take any result,” said the 27-year-old Meintjes.
A Tour de France regular and a Vuelta España racer, Meintjes is expected to fill the hole left off by Dyball’s absence and lead NTT to another title chase.
Pierre Rolland wants to add another gem in his collection, with his team B&B Hotels-Vital Concept.
Considered as one of the best climbers in the competition, Rolland boasts of a lengthy list of achievements, making him a favorite in the tourney.
The Tour de Langkawi starts Friday in Padang Merdeka, Kuching.