Gleb Syritsa Claims Second Career Win in PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi
Russian cyclist Gleb Syritsa secured his second career victory in the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi during Stage 2. The 23-year-old Astana Qazaqstan Team sprinter made a strong comeback after a sprinting error in the previous stage. Syritsa outpaced Dutch sprinter Arvid de Kleijn in the final 50 meters to take the win. Despite coming in second, De Kleijn held onto the PETRONAS Green Leader’s Jersey, leading Syritsa by a mere 0.02s.
In an interview, Syritsa expressed his joy at the win and admitted to his mistake in the previous stage. He also acknowledged the upcoming challenges in Stage 3, a hilly route from Jeli to Banting. De Kleijn acknowledged Syritsa as the better competitor for the day and looked forward to more sprint battles with his rival in future stages.
The TOURISM MALAYSIA Red Polka Dot jersey changed hands as Nur Amirull Fakhrudin Mazuki of Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team took over from his teammate Muhammad Nur Aiman Zariff in the King of the Mountains standings. Nur Amirull strategically took full points in both KOM zones to gain the lead.
The Beautiful Terengganu White Jersey, awarded to Asia’s best rider, remained with Tegshbayar Batsaikhan of Roojai Online Insurance, who finished the stage in seventh place. Calum Johnston of Caja-Rural Seguros earned the BUBBLES O2 Most Combative award for his solo effort after the 90km mark.
With no dropouts in Stage 2, the upcoming hilly battle from Jeli to Baling is expected to be crucial, particularly for the general classification contenders. The route includes challenging climbs that will require teams and riders to be in their best physical, mental, and tactical shape.
The PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2023, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the National Sports Council (MSN) and the National Cycling Federation of Malaysia (PKBM), covers a total race distance of 1,278.1km. The theme of this year’s tour is “Beat The Heat.”
