LANGKAWI: NTT Pro Cycling’s Max Walscheid won the eighth and final stage of Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) but it was Team Sapura Cycling who emerged the big winners of the tour in Langkawi today.
Walscheid won the 108.5km final stage from Dataran Lang to Kuah in a time of two hours and 29 minutes and eight seconds to emerge the overall winner of the Petronas green jersey.
The German edged Androni Giocattoli-Sidemec’s Luca Pacioni and Taj Jones (Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) in the bunch sprint finish.
Sapura’s Danilo Celano put in a valiant effort to finish in the same group as Walscheid to secure his win in the general classification and take home the Petronas yellow jersey.
Unknown to his rivals, Celano was down with fever and required medical attention after he crossed the finish line.
Sapura also won the red jersey (climbers classification) through Nur Aiman Zariff who took full points at the first categorised climb at Telaga Harbour.
Sapura thus entered the history books as the first Malaysian team to defend the yellow jersey at LTdL. They won via Benjamin Dyball last year. Aiman is also the first Malaysian winner of the LTdL red jersey