Le Tour de Langkawi 2020 – Stage 7 [FULL STAGE]

February 13, 2020

Le Tour de Langkawi 2020 – Stage 7 – Bagan – Alor Setar : 130,4 km

Le Tour de Langkawi goes back to its roots this year. Considering the first edition of Malaysia’s premier international bike race was contested by amateur teams back in 1996, with the overall victory going to the late Australian Damian McDonald, it all started for the professionals in Kota Kinabalu in 1997. For the second time only, the 25th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi kicks off from the Sabah state on the island of Borneo, with a criterium this Friday before the race proper from Kuching on February 7 to Langkawi on February 14. In addition, a new UCI 1.1 race, the Malaysian International Classic, will be held the following day.

Malaysia’s Harrif Saleh (TSG Terengganu) became the first rider to win two stages at the 25th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi, again taking the high-speed sprint finish ahead of Matteo Pelucchi (Bardiani CSF) and Taj Jones (ARA Sunshine Coast) in Alor Setar. Italy’s Danilo Celano (Sapura) retained the yellow jersey on the eve of the grand finale on the island of Langkawi.

“I expected to win again today because of the confidence I got from my first victory,” Saleh said.

“It was a very fast sprint at the end of a very long straight road. But as I was following the green jersey [Max Walscheid] and Pelucchi, I saw the road was open for me to past them so I gave everything. I can say I was the fastest today.”

After ten kilometres of racing, five riders managed to go clear, to try to break the control of the sprinters’ teams. They were Masakazu Ito (Aisan), Ben Van Dam (Bridgelane), Kim Kookhyun (KSPO), Cormac McGeough (Wildlife Generation) and Danieal Haikkal (Malaysia national team).

Their advantage rose to 4:40 after 55km but there was no threat to Celano’s yellow jersey, as the highest ranked rider was Ito with a deficit of 9:13 on GC. The break eventually split and 10km from the finish only McGeough and Haikkal were away, with the Irishman the last to be reeled in with four kilometres to go. Simone Bevilacqua (Zabu-KTM), the winner of the second last stage last year, tried his luck with a solo attack but was soon caught.

It was all together again two kilometres from the finish. Walscheid led the charge from far out but was passed by faster riders, including stage 2 winner Jones. Then Salah passed the 19-year-old Australian to win again.

Saleh is the only Asian to have won three stages at Le Tour de Langkawi, taking with one last year in Melaka and two this year. It is the fifteenth stage victory for Asian cyclists of the 239 stages contested in Le Tour de Langkawi during the 25 years of the race. The first Asian stage winner was Hong Kong’s Wang Kam Po in the Cameron Highlands in 2000.

“This is huge for me,” Saleh said.

“As a teenager, I always went to see Le Tour de Langkawi in my hometown of Kuala Terengganu. I have a picture of myself getting autographs from Koji Fukushima [the second Asian stage winner, in 2005]. Being an Asian and winning in the ProSeries makes me very happy.”

The Malaysian admitted that he considered retirement at the end of the 2018 season but found new motivation thanks to his young family.

“At that time, my condition and my motivation weren’t good,” he revealed. “I managed to come back to a good level, especially thanks to my family. My five-year-old son is very supportive of my career. When I see him excited about my results, I only want to carry on winning for him.”

Celano leads Yevgeniy Fedorov (Vino – Astana Motors) by 26 seconds, with Artem Ovechkin (Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team) third at 35 seconds.

The final 108km stage from Dataran Lang to Kuah is largely flat and so the Italian, who rode for Caja Rural in 2017 and 2018 and then Amore e Vita in 2019, seems set for overall victory.

The green points jersey is a much closer affair. Walscheid has a two-point advantage over Jones and five over Saleh.

“It’ll be difficult because the final circuit isn’t flat at all but I’ll try to go for the intermediate sprints,” Saleh said.

Only one Asian has won the points classification before, Anuar Manan in 2010, the year he became the first Malaysian to win a stage at Le Tour de Langkawi.

Results :
1 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 2:53:17
2 Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
3 Taj Jones (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
4 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence
5 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
6 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
7 Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil (Mas) Malaysia
8 Tristan Ward (Aus) Team Bridgelane
9 Kakeru Omae (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
10 Ahmet Orken (Tur) Team Sapura Cycling
11 Andre Looij (Ned) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
12 Jaehyun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional
13 Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) NTT Pro Cycling Team
14 Nicola Venchiarutti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
15 Mattia Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM
16 Georgios Bouglas (Gre) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
17 Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Den) NTT Pro Cycling Team
18 Kyoungho Park (Kor) KSPO Professional
19 Hayato Okamoto (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
20 Anuar Manan (Mas) Malaysia
21 Siu Wai Ko (HKg) Hong Kong, China
22 Keigo Kusaba (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
23 Jamalidin Novardianto (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
24 Dominic Perez (Phi) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
25 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
26 Bernard Benyamin Van Aert (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
27 Alexander Cowan (Can) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
28 Ryu Suzuki (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen
29 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia
30 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
31 Alessandro Iacchi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM
32 Leonardo Tortomasi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM
33 Pierpaolo Ficara (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling
34 Alexandr Semenov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
35 Juan-Pierre Van Der Merwe (RSA) Team Bridgelane
36 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Nippo Delko Provence
37 James Harvey (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
38 Quentin Pacher (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
39 Thanakhan Chaiyasombat (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
40 Lucas De Rossi (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
41 Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM
42 Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
43 Michael Vink (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
44 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
45 Kota Sumiyoshi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
46 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team
47 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team
48 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence
49 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
50 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Professional
51 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team
52 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
53 Hiu Fung Choy (HKg) Hong Kong, China
54 Ahmad Yoga Ilham Firdaus (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
55 Cristian Raileanu (Mda) Team Sapura Cycling
56 Danilo Celano (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling
57 Matthew Rice (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
58 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) NTT Pro Cycling Team
59 Jamal Hibatullah (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
60 Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team
61 Louis Meintjes (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling Team
62 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
63 Alex Hoehn (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
64 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
65 Sandy Hasan (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team
66 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen
67 Daniel Savini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
68 Gwangho Shin (Kor) KSPO Professional
69 Ka Hoo Fung (HKg) Hong Kong, China
70 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM
71 Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
72 Burr Ho (HKg) Hong Kong, China
73 Ho San Chiu (HKg) Hong Kong, China
74 Matvey Nikitin (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
75 Igor Chzhan (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
76 Wan Yau Vincent Lau (HKg) Hong Kong, China
77 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
78 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen
79 Alexandr Ovsyannikov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
80 Rylee Field (Aus) Team Bridgelane
81 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team
82 Fabio Mazzucco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
83 Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Team Sapura Cycling
84 Sofian Nabil Omar Mohd Bakri (Mas) Malaysia
85 Masahiro Ishigami (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence
86 Carter Bettles (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
87 Johan Le Bon (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
88 Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Malaysia
89 Justin Mottier (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
90 Pierre Rolland (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
91 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
92 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
93 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
94 Jihun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional
95 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
96 Cormac Mcgeough (Irl) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
97 Edgar Nohales Nieto (Spa) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
98 Navuti Liphongyu (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team
99 Muhammad Danieal Haikkal Edy Suhaidee (Mas) Malaysia
100 Amarni Drake (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
101 Kent Ross (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
102 Samuele Battistella (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling Team
103 Zack Gilmore (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
104 Mattia Viel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
105 Alistair Donohoe (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:00:40
106 Ben Van Dam (Aus) Team Bridgelane
107 Alessandro Pessot (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:00:57
108 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
109 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
110 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:01:09
111 Kookhyun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional 0:01:15
112 Shotaro Iribe (Jpn) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:01:25
113 Kaito Nakamura (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen
114 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team
115 Samuel Boardman (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
116 Fabricio Ferrari Barcelo (Uru) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team
DNS Hiroki Nishimura (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen

General Classification after Stage 7 :
1 Danilo Celano (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling 24:10:50
2 Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors 0:00:26
3 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:00:35
4 Pierpaolo Ficara (Ita) Team Sapura Cycling 0:01:07
5 Quentin Pacher (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:01:09
6 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence 0:01:34
7 Cristian Raileanu (Mda) Team Sapura Cycling 0:01:36
8 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:01:56
9 Carlos Julian Quintero Noreña (Col) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:01:59
10 Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:02:12
11 Louis Meintjes (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:02:18
12 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:02:40
13 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:03:21
14 Ka Hoo Fung (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:03:54
15 Jamal Hibatullah (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:04:29
16 Alex Hoehn (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling 0:04:33
17 Thanakhan Chaiyasombat (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:04:44
18 Peerapol Chawchiangkwang (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:04:51
19 Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:05:05
20 Igor Chzhan (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors
21 Hiu Fung Choy (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:05:46
22 Alexander Cowan (Can) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling 0:06:31
23 Matvey Nikitin (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors 0:07:28
24 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen 0:08:17
25 Metkel Eyob (Eri) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:08:23
26 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:08:32
27 Ho San Chiu (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:09:02
28 Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:09:13
29 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:09:36
30 Pierre Rolland (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:09:38
31 Ahmad Yoga Ilham Firdaus (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:10:02
32 Kevin Rivera Serrano (CRc) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec 0:10:32
33 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen 0:11:28
34 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling 0:12:29
35 Kota Sumiyoshi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:12:37
36 Sandy Hasan (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:12:53
37 Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:14:01
38 Lucas De Rossi (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence 0:14:13
39 Samuele Battistella (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:15:12
40 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors 0:15:33
41 Juan-Pierre Van Der Merwe (RSA) Team Bridgelane 0:16:27
42 Jamalidin Novardianto (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:16:38
43 Daniel Savini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:17:13
44 Muhammad Danieal Haikkal Edy Suhaidee (Mas) Malaysia 0:19:02
45 Ariya Phounsavath (Lao) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:19:16
46 Leonardo Tortomasi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:19:35
47 Sarawut Sirironnachai (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:20:34
48 Kent Ross (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling 0:20:52
49 Muhammad Ameer Ahmad Kamal (Mas) Malaysia 0:21:04
50 Aiman Cahyadi (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:21:38
51 Cormac Mcgeough (Irl) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling 0:22:32
52 Sofian Nabil Omar Mohd Bakri (Mas) Malaysia 0:22:44
53 Burr Ho (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:23:16
54 Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Team Sapura Cycling 0:23:28
55 Georgios Bouglas (Gre) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:24:37
56 Luca Pacioni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec 0:24:42
57 Michael Vink (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:25:26
58 Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:25:36
59 Rylee Field (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:26:30
60 Bernard Benyamin Van Aert (Ina) Pgn Road Cycling Team 0:26:46
61 Dominic Perez (Phi) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:26:56
62 Amarni Drake (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:27:37
63 Edgar Nohales Nieto (Spa) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:27:40
64 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence 0:28:47
65 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Nippo Delko Provence
66 Fabio Mazzucco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:29:36
67 Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Den) NTT Pro Cycling Team 0:30:24
68 Ben Van Dam (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:31:45
69 Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil (Mas) Malaysia 0:32:29
70 Nik Mohd Azwan Zulkiflie (Mas) Malaysia 0:33:26
71 Alexandr Semenov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors 0:35:06
72 Kakeru Omae (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:35:49
73 Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki (Mas) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:37:17
74 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:38:05
75 Fabricio Ferrari Barcelo (Uru) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:38:07
76 Alexandr Ovsyannikov (Kaz) Vino – Astana Motors 0:38:48
77 Tristan Ward (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:38:53
78 Alessandro Iacchi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:39:11
79 Taj Jones (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:39:14
80 Alessandro Pessot (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:39:25
81 Jihun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional 0:39:43
82 Siu Wai Ko (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:39:46
83 Kaito Nakamura (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen 0:39:52
84 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team 0:40:50
85 Mattia Viel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec 0:41:12
86 Navuti Liphongyu (Tha) Thailand Continental Cycling Team 0:41:13
87 Ahmet Orken (Tur) Team Sapura Cycling 0:41:59
88 Mattia Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:42:09
89 Andre Looij (Ned) Ssois Miogee Cycling Team 0:42:32
90 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ KTM 0:43:17
91 Justin Mottier (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:43:27
92 Ryu Suzuki (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen 0:44:50
93 Johan Le Bon (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:44:52
94 Jaehyun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional 0:44:54
95 Alistair Donohoe (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:46:06
96 Keigo Kusaba (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:46:36
97 Samuel Boardman (USA) Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
98 James Harvey (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:49:27
99 Soonyeong Kwon (Kor) KSPO Professional 0:50:56
100 Mathew Zenovich (NZl) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:51:00
101 Carter Bettles (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:51:19
102 Hayato Okamoto (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 0:52:06
103 Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:52:19
104 Anuar Manan (Mas) Malaysia 0:53:23
105 Kyoungho Park (Kor) KSPO Professional 0:53:39
106 Jay Dutton (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:54:29
107 Wan Yau Vincent Lau (HKg) Hong Kong, China 0:54:46
108 Nicola Venchiarutti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec 0:56:11
109 Masahiro Ishigami (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence 0:58:09
110 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept 0:59:27
111 Shotaro Iribe (Jpn) NTT Pro Cycling Team 1:00:07
112 Kookhyun Kim (Kor) KSPO Professional 1:00:08
113 Zack Gilmore (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 1:01:06
114 Matthew Rice (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 1:03:00
115 Gwangho Shin (Kor) KSPO Professional 1:09:08
116 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 1:16:55