Tour de Langkawi

The Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage bicycle race held in Malaysia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is named after the archipelago Langkawi, where the first edition started and finished. The race has been held annually since 1996, primarily in February.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Originally consists of 10 day-long segments (stages) over 10 days, the race has been reduced to eight stages over recent years. While the route changes each year, the Genting Highlands climb, the toughest in the tour, is almost always included. Tour de Langkawi is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a 2.HC road race in the UCI Asia Tour calendar. The race became part of the UCI ProSeries in 2020 for a 3-year period, with the race gaining the new classification of 2.Pro. The ProSeries status were renewed by UCI in 2023 until 2025, and were again renewed by UCI in 2025 until 2028.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

All stages are timed to the finish. Times for each completed stage are compounded; the rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to wear the yellow jersey. While the general classification garners the most attention, there are other contests held within the Tour: the points classification for sprinters, the mountains classification for climbers, the Asian rider classification for Asian riders, the team classification for competing teams, and the Asian team classification for competing Asian teams.

History

The Tour de Langkawi was conceived by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to put Malaysia "on the world sporting and tourism map".<ref name="NST">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first race was held from 29 February to 9 March 1996, with the opening and ending taking place in Langkawi.<ref name="in">Template:Cite news</ref> It was Asia's richest bicycle race<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref> with total prize money of RM1.1 million.<ref name="NST"/> It attracted 21 teams from 19 countries but without the participation of the major cyclists of the world.<ref name="in"></ref>

In 1997, the teams Template:UCI team code and Template:UCI team code from Italy and the team Template:UCI team code from France refused to participate in the second stage of the Tour as a protest against long delays in the delivery of their bicycles and luggage caused by insufficient numbers of cargo handlers at provincial airports in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Organisers officially cancelled the second stage, though an unofficial shortened version was held.<ref name="NYT"/> Since then, the race has never re-visited Sabah or Sarawak, except for the 2020 edition.

The final stage of the race was cancelled twice due to heavy rain in 2003<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 2006.

During the first stage in 2004, police allowed vehicles onto the course by mistake. Riders mutually decided to neutralise the stage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2008, the Genting Highlands climb stage was replaced by Fraser's Hill. Due to 150,000 visitors converging on the Genting Highlands resort area to celebrate Chinese New Year, officials would not be able to close roads along the race route to insure the safety of riders and the public.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Genting Highlands climb stage returned to the Tour in 2009.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 race that was supposed to happen between January 30 to February 6 was cancelled after initial consideration of postponement to September in the same year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The event made its return in 2022, initially scheduled from March 3 to 10 but was then postponed twice, first to June 11 to 18, then again to October 11 to 18.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 2023 race was taken off from the UCI calendar after the UCI received complaints from teams of not receiving payments for appearance fees and flight tickets from the 2022 race. Malaysia National Cycling Federation vice president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said that the race will go on as scheduled and he will get a clearer picture of the situation during the world body's board meeting.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In August 2023, the UCI agreed to reinstate the race in its calendar, with the National Sports Council making key changes on payments to participants from the 2023 race onwards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For 2023 edition, the race will be held on 23 September to 30 September 2023. This year the National Sport Council (MSN) will be the organiser of the event. The race involves eight stages of racing over eight days across 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia with a total distance of 1,280 kilometers.

Past winners

Team classification

Year	Based	Team name
1996	Template:Flagicon	Giant–AIS
1997	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
1998	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
1999	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2000	Template:Flagicon	Mercury Cycling Team
2001	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2002	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2003	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2004	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2005	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2006	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2007	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2008	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2009	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2010	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2011	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2012	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2013	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2014	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2015	Template:Flagicon	Pegasus Continental Cycling Team
2016	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2017	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2018	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2019	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2020	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2021	No race due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2023	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2024	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2025	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code

Asian team classification

Year	Based	Team name
1998	Template:Flagicon	Philippines (national team)
1999	Template:Flagicon	Malaysia (national team)
2000	Template:Flagicon	Japan (national team)
2001	Template:Flagicon	Telekom Malaysia Cycling Team
2002	Template:Flagicon	Telekom Malaysia Cycling Team
2003	Template:Flagicon	Iran (national team)
2004	Template:Flagicon	Iran (national team)
2005	Template:Flagicon	Iran (national team)
2006	Template:Flagicon	Japan (national team)
2007	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2008	Template:Flagicon	Seoul Cycling Team
2009	Template:Flagicon	Iran (national team)
2010	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2011	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2012	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2013	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2014	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2015	Template:Flagicon	Pegasus Continental Cycling Team
2016	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2017	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2018	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2019	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2020	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2021	No race due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2023	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2024	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code
2025	Template:Flagicon	Template:UCI team code

Sponsor

• Telekom Malaysia
• Petronas
• Genting Malaysia
• Maju Group
• BSN
• Altel
• Terengganu
• Proton Holdings
• Tourism Malaysia
• DRB-HICOM

External links

• Template:Official website
• Tour de Langkawi at cyclingnews.com
• Template:Usurped at cyclingarchives.com
• Tour de Langkawi at the-sports.org
• Tour de Langkawi at cqranking.com