KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad flagged off Stage 1 of the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2019 in front of the Petronas twin towers here, today.
At the stroke of noon, Dr Mahathir flagged-off the 132 riders from 22 teams who will be cycling from here to Tampin, Negri Sembilan – covering a distance of 176.9km.
Also at the ceremony was Dr Mahathir’s wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali; Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman; Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad; and Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
The unique aspect of Stage 1 is that it has four “climb” zones, three of them Category 3 (Ampang Look Out Point, Bukit Tangga and Bukit Putus); and a Category 2 at Genting Peres.
It also has three sprint zones – at Km 25.4 in Pekan Batu 18; Km 110.6 at Ampangan; and Km 138 at Kuala Pilah.
The riders are expected to reach the finishing line in Jalan Besar, Tampin at around 4pm.
This edition of the prestigious cycling race has eight stages covering a total distance of 1,225.8km. — BERNAMA