LANGKAWI – It feels like déjà vu for Sayuti Zahit as he returns to Langkawi for the upcoming Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL), which begins tomorrow.
It is no surprise as four years ago Sayuti led the Sapura Cycling Team (TSC) to sweep three major titles at LTdL – the best overall team, overall champion with Danilo Celano in the yellow jersey, and King of The Mountains with Nur Aiman Zarif in the red jersey.
Even more impressive, the year before that, Sayuti’s expertise ensured that TSC became the first Malaysian team to win LTdL, with Benjamin Dyball taking home the yellow jersey.
The success that Sayuti and his team have achieved has opened everyone’s eyes to the fact that local teams are fully capable of competing for the LTdL championship and are not just there to fill the participant list.
In fact, over the past few years, several local riders have also made their mark on the podium, capturing some of the race’s most prestigious jerseys.
However, financial difficulties led to the closure of TSC, which also resulted in a fine imposed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for failing to promptly pay 3,500 Swiss francs (RM16,304).
This payment was part of their commitment to the anti-doping program established by the governing body.
After a four-year hiatus, and with the team rebranded as Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC), Sayuti remains optimistic that his team can still shine, even though he admits they currently do not have the same resources as before.
“We proved our capabilities in 2019 when Nur Aiman Zarif donned the King of The Mountains jersey after 25 years, even though Sapura was only established two years prior.
“I want to emphasise that we already have a template for success. However, right now, we are facing limitations due to our resources.
“If we had larger financial backing, I believe it would not be impossible for us to achieve the same level of success.
“We went through this last year, and for me, simply returning to this race this year is a significant achievement because some people might not even attempt it.
“All of this represents sweet memories in my life, especially winning LTdL twice in a row, particularly in Langkawi. As we train along some of the routes, we have a few flashbacks that feel very fresh,” said Sayuti.
The challenge for Sayuti lies in his decision to rely entirely on six local riders, unlike when he led TSC, which featured several foreign cyclists.
Moreover, only Zawawi Azman and Izzat Helmi have previous experience in LTdL, while the other four riders – Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah, Zulfikri Zulkifli, Muhammad Fahmi Khairul, and Muhammad Syawal Mazlin – will be making their debut in Asia’s oldest cycling race.
Interestingly, all four of these riders come from a mountain biking background.
“This will be a significant challenge for me and the rest of the team, especially in managing our limited resources.
“However, I am relieved that we have secured support in terms of quality bicycle equipment, and at the same time, we have managed to participate in several tours before arriving at LTdL.
“This is the first time we are fielding six local riders, as we originally had 11 cyclists and had to make selections.
“We have set clear objectives for what we want to achieve. Even if we do not reach 100% of our targets, achieving 70 or 80% would still make us satisfied,” he added. – September 28, 2024
