BMW Group Malaysia is the Official Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi Malaysia 2017.

This year it is BMW who are official automotive partners for the upcoming 2017 Le Tour de Langkawi cycling event. BMW Group Malaysia and Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) today announced the appointment of the premium automaker as the Official Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi Malaysia competition for the year 2017. The premium automaker will support one of Asia’s premier cycling stage race with a fleet of BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles. They will also be the  White Jersey Sponsor for the Best Asian Rider 

If you are not aware of what in blue blazes is a White Jersey and what it stands for do read the press release below. There are a lot of jerseys in a cycling event. This is one of it. I cycle once a year these days. This is more than enough as I have petrol in my veins. And I like driving or at the very least, riding something motorised. 

Do note that you still need cars in a cycling event that has many, many stages. Support vehicles, people carriers - support staff don't cycle with the contestants you know. It is good to know that this year, most of them will be driving or riding BMWs. 

PRESS RELEASE

BMW Group Malaysia is the Official Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi

Malaysia 2017.

(From L-R) Mr. Shahirudeen Seeni Mohamad, Director of LTdL 2017; Mr. Emir Abdul Jalal, CEO of LTdL 2017; Mr. Owen Riley, Head of BMW Motorrad Malaysia; Mr. Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group Malaysia; Mr. Kidd Yam, Head of MINI Malaysia; and Mr. Jayden Liew, Dealer Principal and Executive Director, Wheelcorp Premium.

Premium automaker supports Asia’s premier cycling stage race with a fleet of BMW, MINI

and BMW Motorrad vehicles and is the White Jersey Sponsor for the Best Asian Rider.

Kuala Lumpur, 13 February 2017 – BMW Group Malaysia and Le Tour de Langkawi

(LTdL) today announced the appointment of the premium automaker as the Official

Automotive Partner of the Le Tour de Langkawi Malaysia competition for the year 2017.

Speaking at the official announcement ceremony, LTdL Chief Executive Officer Emir

Abdul Jalal said, “The Le Tour de Langkawi competition is the highest ranked stage race

on the Asia Tour calendar with a UCI 2.HC status much like the competitions held in

China and Japan - the Tour of Qinghai Lake, the Tour of Hainan as well as the Japan

Cup. Our event remains Asia’s premier cycling stage race because we support Asian

cycling more than any organizer does at this level of competition.”

Emir added that the most prestigious cycling stage race in the country was pleased to

have BMW Group Malaysia as the Official Automotive Partner for the competition in 2017

and hoped that the new partnership would the best push for the competition this year.

Echoing Emir, Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group Malaysia

said, “Le Tour de Langkawi 2017 is our first ever presence in the sport of cycling at the

highest level in the region and we at BMW Group Malaysia are very excited with the

opportunity. We are also pleased to be the White Jersey Sponsor for the competition as

the White Jersey is the award for the Best Asian Rider which signifies the discovery of

local or regional talent and heroes in the sport.”

Ambi added that BMW Group Malaysia views identifying, developing and supporting

emerging talent a premium expression but more than this, to be able to be part of the

success of these talents and to share these successes with fellow Malaysians across the

country for inspiration and future talent creation is an important direction the premium

automaker wants to pursue.

In saying this, Ambi was referring to Terengganu born rider Muhamad Adiq Hussainie

Othman who will be back in action at Le Tour de Langkawi from February 22 nd to March

1 st this year. At only the age of 26, the competition in 2017 will be Adiq’s eighth

consecutive participation in the prestigious cycling stage race. This time around,

however, he is turning up as the defending champion in the Best Asian Rider Category,

the winner of the White Jersey last year. He is the first Malaysian to ever receive the

award since its inception at the third edition of LTdL in 1998.

“Adiq’s courageous defence of the white jersey with the backing of his team TSG has

been one of the highlights of last year’s race.” said LTdL Chief Executive Officer Emir

Abdul Jalal. “Many Malaysians have been touched and inspired by his performance.

Throughout this special classification, we’re delighted to show that Malaysians can

successfully compete against the best riders of the continent.”

Emir added that cycling is predominantly a European sport and with all the participation

requests received from Europe, America and Oceania, one might think that Asian teams

would be left out but that’s out of question. He said, “Officials at the international cycling

union (UCI) keep saying that cycling is growing faster in Asia than anywhere else in the

world and we are proud to be part of this movement which is why we give priority to the

Asian teams when it comes to selection at continental level.”

At the 2017 Le Tour de Langkawi, Asian riders will get a chance to challenge WorldTour

giants and Grand Tours cyclists from the Pro Continental ranks from China, Japan,

Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and of

course Malaysia. Another first for the competition, Thailand has registered a continental

team, Thailand Continental Cycling Team which includes popular Malaysian LTdL rider

Loh Sea Keong who has been in the competition ten times and is the only Malaysian to

have raced with a WorldTour team with Giant-Shimano in 2014.

New teams to lookout for at the competition this year include Keyi Look Cycling Team

from China, the Singapore-registered Infinite AIS, Malaysia’s Sapura Cycling Team and

KFC of Indonesia.

PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE BEST ASIAN RIDER COMPETITION

AT LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI:

1998: Tonton Susanto (INA)

1999: Hideto Yukinari (JAP)

2000: Wang Kam Po (HKG)

2001: Wang Kam Po (HKG)

2002: Tonton Susanto (INA)

2003: Tomoya Kano (JAP)

2004: Ghader Mizbani (IRA)

2005: Koji Fukushima (JAP)

2006: Hossein Askari (IRA)

2007: Ghader Mizbani (IRA)

2008: Shinichi Fukushima (JAP)

2009: Tonton Susanto (INA)

2010: Gong Hyo Suk (KOR)

2011: Rahim Emami (IRA)

2012: Alexandr Dyachenko (KAZ)

2013: Wang Meiyin (CHN)

2014: Mirsamad Pourseyedigolakhour (IRA)

2015: Tomohiro Hayakawa (JAP)

2016: Adiq Hussainie Othman (MAS)

As the Official Automotive Partner, BMW Group Malaysia will be supporting the Le Tour

de Langkawi Malaysia 2017 with a fleet of BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles which

will be utilized throughout the competition by Marshalls, Officials as well as special

shuttles for the riding teams.

At the official announcement, BMW Group Malaysia presented LTdl with the fleet of cars

and motorcycles which will be utilized in the competition this year. The premium

automaker was represented by Mr. Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications,

BMW Group Malaysia; Mr. Kidd Yam, Head of MINI and Mr. Owen Riley, Head of BMW

Motorrad.

Organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia and managed by Ciclista Sports

Sdn Bhd, the 22 nd edition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) from 22 nd February to 1 st March,

2017 is set to cover more than 1,200km over 8 stages, the UCI 2.HC (hors category) race

featuring again as one of the biggest events on the UCI Asia Tour calendar.