KUALA LUMPUR: The International Cycling Union (UCI) has agreed to immediately reinstate the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2023, scheduled from Sept 23-30, into its international calendar.
UCI Management Committee member Datuk Amarjit Singh confirmed the latest outcome after the UCI Management Committee meeting held in Glasgow, yesterday, a week since its exclusion from the world calendar.
“I am frankly very relieved with this reinstatement as it involves the good name and image of Malaysia in general and specifically within the cycling community throughout the world. There was a heavy responsibility on my shoulder to make sure that this was done, and thankfully it’s all sorted out now” he said in a statement.
Amarjit, who is also the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) vice president, said he had a very positive meeting with UCI Sports director Peter Van De Abelle and the Road Department on Monday on the need for the Tour to be reinstated immediately.
He had presented UCI the proof of payments had been made by the previous organiser, Human Voyage to several teams that had written to UCI complaining on the non-payments of several appearance fees and other expenses.
Amarjit, who is the Asian Cycling Confederation vice president, said upon his request, UCI in good faith agreed to reinstate the LTdL in the 2023 calendar, while awaiting for confirmation from the teams on the payments.
“This unfortunate situation could have been avoided all together if the payments were made and honoured within the timeline prescribed to the teams by the previous organisers.
“I received many enquiries personally last week from various Pro Teams after the news broke that the Tour had been removed from the UCI Calendar and asking if the race was cancelled, but I assured them that it will go on as scheduled,” he said.
Last week, UCI had removed the ProSeries race from the world governing body’s race calendar due to the organiser’s debt issues.
MNCF president Datuk Abu Samah Wahab was previously reported as saying that based on a UCI report, the organisers of the LTdL 2019, 2020 and 2022 had not settled the arrears of more than RM1 million, whereby the amount did not involve prize money.
The 2023 edition would be organised by the National Sports Council (NSC) with 22 teams set to compete for various jerseys. – BERNAMA
