Bukit jalil: Two WorldTeam teams and eight ProTeam teams have been confirmed to add to the excitement of the 30th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL 2026) which is scheduled to start from September 27 to October 4. National Sports Council (MSN) director-general Jefri Ngadirin said completing the 20-team list for this year's competition were nine Continental teams and the Malaysian national team to face the eight-stage challenge of LTdL26 which covers a distance of 1,285.5 kilometres.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, although the number of teams was reduced from 22 in the last edition, it still met the ProSeries status race quota set by the International Cycling Union (UCI). Jefri Ngadirin cited budget constraints as a reason for the reduction, explaining that appearance fees and travel allowances for WorldTeams are higher. He expressed optimism about increasing participation in future editions with adequate funding and sponsorships.
The two WorldTeam teams confirmed are XDS Astana from Kazakhstan and the Dutch team, Picnic PostNL. The eight ProTeam teams include Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland); Caja Rural-SegurosRGA, Equipo Kern Pharma, and Burgos-Burpellet (Spain); TotalEnergies and Unibet Rose Rockets (France); BardianiCSF-Saber (Italy); and a new entrant, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling from the United States.
The nine Continental teams feature Terengganu Cycling Team and Malaysia Pro Cycling (Malaysia); Thailand Continental Cycling Team (Thailand); 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines (Philippines); Nusantara Cycling Team (Indonesia); WheelTop Rotor Chengdu Cycling Team (China); Aisan Racing Team (Japan); KSPO (South Korea); and St George Continental Cycling Team (Australia).
Jefri is confident this year's race will be of high quality, with challenging climbing stages in Gunung Jerai, Cameron Highlands, and Genting Highlands. Notable teams like Astana, Picnic, and Tudor are participating in all three of the world's biggest tours, including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a Espana. He anticipates a strong combination of riders ensuring a competitive race.
MSN, the organiser of LTdL, eagerly anticipates the list of riders to be sent by the teams. Jefri mentioned that while some teams have submitted their line-ups, changes are expected as teams aim to field their best riders for optimal results, crucial for end-of-season rankings.
The tour, holding 2nd ProSeries status in the Asia-UCI calendar, is jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through MSN, in collaboration with the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).