Canadian riders come in strong
Canadian outfit aim to win at least three stages in this year’s edition
CANADIAN-BASED outfit Floyd Pro Cycling have sounded early warnings to the fast men in the peloton as they set their sights on winning some stages in the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) which starts on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur.
Former LTdL stage winner Travis McCabe will be Floyd’s main man on the flat as the team seek to continue their fine run in this part of the world, after winning the overall individual title in the recent Tour of Taiwan.
McCabe finished third in the sprint classification in Taiwan.
The team’s main general classification (GC) contender Jonathan Clarke, 34, is
among the leading contenders in the bunch following his GC win in Taiwan. This will be Clake’s fourth appearance in LTdL since 2012.
Floyd, owned by former Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, look formidable with a balanced set of young and experienced riders alongside Gordon Fraser, their Directeur Sportif, who had previously won an LTdL stage in 2001.
McCabe has set a target of winning at least three stages this time. He is determined to deny record stage winner Andrea Guardini of Bardiani from making a clean sweep in the eight-stage race.
“I won two stages when I raced here in 2017. It’s been a good start for me in Asia, especially after coming in third in the sprints competition in Taiwan,” said McCabe upon arriving with his team at KLIA in Sepang yesterday.
The 29-year-old admitted that Guardini’s presence will make it hard for other sprinters in the peloton.
The other team members are Emile Jean, Keegan Swirbul, Serghei Tvtetcov and Nickolas Zukowsky.
LTdL ends in Langkawi on April 13.