Rankings and reputations don’t determine LTdL success

KUALA LUMPUR: Italian outfit Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec will be the highest ranked among the 22 teams for the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from April 6-13.

The team are currently 26th amongst the UCI teams with 2,725 points, followed by Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM (35th; 1,682.72), GazpromRusvelo (36th; 1,422.58) and the two Malaysian continental teams – Team Sapura Cycling (38th; 1,219) and Terengganu Inc-TSG Cycling Team (41st; 1,190).

However, rankings and reputations are never the deciding factor for success in the tour’s eight stages as the race history shows many instances of surprises since its inception in 1996.

This is due to the form of the riders, who have been racing in Oceania, Latin America and Europe before flying to Malaysia, where they face a different challenge in the tropical heat along with the challenging climb in Genting Highlands.

Last year, TSG only managed 13th place in the teams’ classification despite their Russian rider Artem Ovechkin winning the overall title while Willier Triestina, who put together a consistent team effort, finished as the top ranked team in the race despite top rider Giuseppe Fonzi of Italy only ranked fifth in the individual general classification.

Based on the provisional start list, the LTdL can be expected to feature an interesting challenge with teams looking to form a multitude of strategies to challenge for the yellow jersey, the King of the Mountains jersey or the teams’ classification.

Androni, traditionally the most successful team in LTdL, have in recent editions suffered a drop in form.

Holding the record number of yellow jerseys beginning with Colombian Hernan Dario Munoz in 2002, American Freddy Gonzalez in 2004, Moldovan Ruslan Ivanov in 2008, Colombian Jose Serpa in 2009 and 2012, Venezuelans Jose Rujano in 2010 and Yonathan Monsalve in 2012, they will be looking to end a seven-year drought.

The race for the yellow jersey and king of the mountains is expected to be a heated one with TSG’s Ovechkin already stating his intentions of defending the title he won last year.

A stiff challenge can also come from Colombian Alvaro Duarte, who finished ninth riding for the ForcaAmskins team last year and will return with the new Brunei Continental Team.

Oliver’s Real Food Racing will bank on LTdL 2017 overall runner-up Cameron Bayly of Australia, who finished second that year riding for Team IsoWhey.

Debutants Team Ukyo of Japan, owned by legendary Japanese Formula One and GT driver Ukyo Katayama, also look formidable with Dutch rider Raymond Kreder, who won the Tour of Tochigi in Japan last week.