MNCF Disappointed LTdL Fail To Lure Professional Teams

SEPANG (Selangor, Malaysia) April 3 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) is clearly disappointed with the organisers of the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL), Human Voyage (M) Sdn Bhd which fail to lure the participations of the world’s professional tour teams at the 24th edition. MNCF president Abu Samah Abdul Wahab said MNCF feared that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) would not recognise LTdL 2019 as a race with a 2.0 Hors Class status due to the absence of professional tour teams this time. “Under the UCI regulation, there must be at least one or two world’s professional tour teams participating in the championship if it is to be recognised as a 2.0 Hors Class. But they were not listed in the media statement sent to MNCF. “We are very sad at the absence of the world’s professional tour teams. Looking at the current situation, LTdL appears to be like a 2.1 race and not Hors Class. It is up to UCI, we wait and see (its further action),’’ said Abu Samah. He said this when met by reporters at a ceremony to introduce the Malaysian racers for LTdL 2019 at a hotel here Wednesday. Commenting further, Abu Samah claimed Human Voyage (M) Sdn Bhd, prior to this, planned to bring six world’s professional tour teams to take part in LTdL 2019, but it did not materialise. “We don’t want UCI to drop the status of the race following the absence of the world’s professional tour teams this time,’’ said Abu Samah who also claimed that MNCF had just received a full list of the competing teams from the company Tuesday. For the record, LTdL 2014 recorded the highest participations of world’s professional tour teams at six. In the meantime, experienced racer Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie, who would be heading the Malaysian challenge at LTdL 2019, vowed to reap the white jersey which he had won in the third stage last year, hoping that the national squad would achieve a podium win as targeted by MNCF. Nik Mohd Azwan, who is an experienced all rounder, was also confident his combination with several young racers would be able to ensure the national squad could get a positive result. -- BERNAMA