Race organizers have released the final list of twenty teams that will contest the 2010 Le Tour de Langkawi. This year marks the 15th edition of the race which runs from March 1st to the 7th. With the addition of American team Kelly Benefit Strategies yesterday, the line-up is now complete.
The Footon-Servetto-Fuji team will be the race's sole ProTour squad present this year. The young Spanish team has surprised in the ProTour ranks this year with strong performances from Portuguese sprinter Manuel Cardozo and their Spanish climber Rafael Valls. Unfortunately, Cardozo separated his shoulder in a crash during the Volta ao Algarve earlier this week and will miss the race. Valls, however, is expected to do well on the grueling stage into the Genting Highlands and will look to challenge for the overall win. His compatriot David Vitoria has also shown form this past week in Portugal, and will likely try his hand in the breaks throughout the race.
Two Professional Continental teams, ISD-Neri and Vorarlberg-Corratec, will also be making the trip to Langkawi.
Five years after he finished second overall in the Tour de Langkawi, Jose Rujano will spearhead the ISD-Neri squad in the race and, if on form, his superb climbing marks him out as a potential victor. Five years ago he finished second on the Genting Highland stage, crossing the line inches behind eventual race winner Ryan Cox (Barloworld), and will aim to win the stage this time around. Rujano will join 2009 Tour de Langkawi participants Bartosz Huzarsky, Denys Kostyuk and Vitaliy Kondrut, as well as Ruslan Pidgorny and Pierpaolo Denegri, on the Italian squad.
Sebastian Siedler, who has previously ridden for the Wiesenhof, Milram and Skil Shimano teams, is Vorarlberg-Corratec's best chance for the race's overall competition. Siedler won the Ruud um die Nurberger Altstadt in 2004, a stage of the Tour de Picardie in 2008, and won a stage in the Post Danmark Rundt and the Presidential Tour of Turkey last year.
The Austrian team will count on 33 year old René Haselbacher for the sprint finishes. The former Gerolsteiner rider won the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt in 2006 and finished well in the sprints during last year's edition.
The remaining teams are made up of 12 Continental teams: Drapac-Porsche (Australia), Tabriz Petrochemical (Iran), Seoul Cycling Team (South Korea), Marco Polo Cycling Team (China), Aisan Racing Team (Japan), Max Success Sport (China), Le Tua Cycling Team (Malaysia), Team Geumsan Ginseng Asia (South Korea), Team Jayco-Skins (Australia), Azad University (Iran), Giant Asia Racing Team (Taiwan) and Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA).
Five national teams will also take part in the race that include South Africa, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Thailand and Malaysia.
The Colombian national team will feature 2002 overall winner Hernan Dario Munoz. He won the Genting Highlands stage for two consecutive years in 2002 and 2003 while riding for the Colombia-Selle Italia directed by Gianni Savio.
Participating teams in the 2010 Le Tour de Langkawi:
1. FOOTON-SEVETTO PROTOUR (SPAIN)
2 ISD-NERI (ITALY)
3 VORARLBERG-CORRATEC (AUSTRIA)
4 DRAPAC PORSCHE (AUSTRALIA)
5 TABRIZ PETROCHEMICAL (IRAN)
6 SEOUL CYCLING TEAM (SOUTH KOREA)
7 MARCO POLO CYCLING TEAM (CHINA)
8 AISAN RACING TEAM (JAPAN)
9 MAX SUCCESS SPORT (CHINA)
10 LE TUA CYCLING TEAM (MALAYSIA)
11 TEAM GEUMSAN GINSENG ASIA (SOUTH KOREA)
12 TEAM JAYCO- SKINS (AUSTRALIA)
13 AZAD UNIVERSITY (IRAN)
14 GIANT ASIA RACING TEAM (TAIWAN)
15 KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES (USA)
16 SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL TEAM
17 KAZAKHSTAN NATIONAL TEAM
18 MALAYSIA NATIONAL TEAM
19 COLOMBIA NATIONAL TEAM
20 THAILAND NATIONAL TEAM
Stages for the 2010 Le Tour de Langkawi:
1) Kota Bharu - Kuala Berang (174.5km)
2) Kuala Terengganu - Chukai (182.3km)
3) Pekan - Mersing (145.6km)
4) Mersin-Parit Sulong (163.5km)
5) Muar - Port Dickson (111.5km)
6) Putrajaya - Genting Highlands (102.8km)
7) Kuala Kubu Baru - Dataran Merdeka (133.7km)
Total distance: 1013.9km