MELAKA, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Jelajah Malaysia, which is the oldest cycling race in Asia, is set to make a comeback after it was last held in 2017.
Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) president Datuk Abu Samah Abd Wahab said the 54th edition of the five-stage Jelajah Malaysia would be held from Feb 26-March 2.
He said Stage One, involving 24 teams and 120 riders, will begin in Melaka city centre and end at Bandar Baru Bangi in Selangor.
“Stage One will be 148 kilometres (km) long while Stage Two will be from Setia Alam to Cyberjaya and Stage Three is from Shah Alam to Teluk Intan.
“The 145km Stage Four, from Bagan Datuk, Perak to Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands in Pahang, will be the toughest route and Stage Five will start in Tapah and end in Bandar Meru Raya in Ipoh, Perak,” he told a media conference in Kota Laksamana here today.
Earlier, he attended the launch of the 54th edition of the Jelajah Malaysia, which was also attended by the executive director of the race, Datuk Nik Rosma Nik Mohamed.
Abu Samah said the Jelajah Malaysia would also be the benchmark for cycling in Malaysia with the participation of 16 continental teams from various countries, including the likes of JCL Team Ukyo (Japan), Tashkent City Profesional Team (Uzbekistan) and Sidi Ali Unlock Team (Morrocco).
The participation of other continental teams like KSPO Professional Team (South Korea), St George Continental Cycling Team (Australia), Global 6 Cycling (New Zealand), Mula (Indonesia), Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team and Team Sapura Cycling as well as the national team is set to make it a thrilling affair.
Abu Samah said that this year’s Jelajah Malaysia is crucial as it had been postponed several times due to various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is also optimistic that Jelajah Malaysia, which was introduced in 1963, will be the best platform to unearth young riders to be showcased on the international stage.
“Jelajah Malaysia has produced some big names like Suhardi Hassan, Loh Sea Keong, Anuar Manan, Mohd Zamri Salleh, Mohd Harif Salleh, Nur Amirull Fakhruddin Mazuki and Mohd Adiq Hussainie Othman who have gone on to win the general classification, sprint jersey as well as the best rider in Asia.
“As such, we see Jelajah Malaysia as a platform for young Malaysians to compete in and gain experience from,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
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