Tour de Langkawi 2008 in Sitiawan

Some Pangkor/Lumut travelers knew it, some saw it by accident. The Tour de Langkawi visited Sitiawan in 2008. After the spectacular finish in 2006 where Bongiorno was the fastest, this years stage was even more spectacular.

Jeremy Hunt wins the second stage in Sitiawan

The Tour de Langkawi has 9 stages:

• Stage 1 Alor Setar - Kepala Batas 182.6 km
• Stage 2 Butterworth - Sitiawan 159.7 km
• Stage 3 Sitiawan - Banting 209.4 km
• Stage 4 Port Dickson - Batu Pahat 169.0 km
• Stage 5 Johor Bahru - Bandar Penawar 139.9 km
• Stage 6 Bandar Penawar - Kuala Rompin 182.8 kms
• Stage 7 Kuala Rompin - Kuantan 126.6 kms
• Stage 8 Temerloh - Bukit Fraser 127.0 kms
• Stage 9 Kuala Lumpur Criterium 80.4 kms

It's an attractive terrain the cyclist have to follow and looking at the kind of roads to follow, it seems the first 7 stages will be excellent for the sprinters. The first stage from Alor Setar to Kepala Batas was won by Matthieu Sprick

He brought the yellow jersey in the second stage from Butterworth to Sitiawan. I got a report from friends who saw the whole group passing Trong and Pantai Remis. Apparently it was quite a spectacular sight. During the waiting the people in Sitiawan were kept busy with a pencak silat demonstration at the finish line. But of course everybody was more interested in the cyclists.

The winners of the second stage in Sitiawan

The reports we got at the finish were quite interesting. It seemed no one really wanted to wait until at the finish when the sprinters would take the main price. During the last 25 km there were several escapes from the group but in Sitiawan only a few were just out of range of the main group. It was Brit Jeremy Hunt who won before the Italian Mateo Priamo and Gustavo Cesar from Spain.

The yellow jersey was not in danger so Mattieu Sprich was also the proud owner at the start of the third stage. Although there was plenty to entertain the people of Sitiawan there were less people then on the Sunday afternoon when the second stage finished.

Several local groups gave demonstrations. Three Indian dancers danced on a bed of spikes, which was carefully watched by not only the audience but also the cyclists.

One Japanese cyclist was on the verge to try his luck on the spike bed but decided it was safer to play a French song on the harmonica.

This happened during the ceremony of signing in before the race. Every cyclist has to sign the book before leaving.

As the tradition in cycling goes, the yellow jersey comes as one of the last, be interviewed and introduced to the VIP's, who gave the example to come all on mountain bikes.

The start itself was of course a  matter of seconds. A countdown that takes longer then the start itself and away was the group.

From Sitiawan the group, followed by a huge amount of cars, promotion, newspaper, radio and TV reporters went on the way to Banding.

Start for the third stage in Sitiawan

It's an all flat stage, following the road to Teluk Intan, and then along the coast highway to Selangor and Banding. While writing, the news comes in that the Korean Won Jae Lee won the stage in 4h37'43" followed by Malaysian Annuar Manan and Chinese Van Dong Xing. It's the first success for a Malaysian cyclist in this Tour de Langkawi.

For more results of the Tour de Langkawi, please visit the website www.tdl.com.my

For more photos of the Tour de Langkawi 2008 in Sitiawan, please click here

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