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Eagle Tour Of Malaysia - 2.6
Malaysia, August 14-18, 2002
2001 Results Stage List Preview Start List
The Stages
- Stage 1 - August 14: Kuah Town - ITT, 9.2km
- Stage 2 - August 15: Around Langkawi Island, 141.6km
- Stage 3 - August 16: Pantai Pasir Hitam - Gunung Raya Hill Climb, 70km
- Stage 4 - August 17: Around Langkawi Island, 136.5km
- Stage 5 - August 18: Kuah Town, Criterium, 50km
Preview
By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent in Langkawi
The opening stage of the inaugural Gamuda Eagle Tour of Malaysia is a 9.2km time trial around the streets of Kuah on the island Langkawi. Those hopeful will have aspirations of wearing the final yellow jersey on Sunday when the final stage takes place. The psychological blow struck on the first day may ultimately pay dividends after the 50km criterium on Sunday.
123 fit cyclists will roll down the start ramp in Kuah in front of the Langkawi Mall. Tan Sri Talha Hashim, chairman of Gamuda Berhad, will flag off the first cyclist at 10 am. This will herald the beginning of a new event on the Union Cycliste Internationale calendar.
Stage two will be a 142.6km round the idyllic island which is a paradise for tourists, but somehow I think the competitors will have other things on their mind, such as the big prize list of RM200,000.
On Friday the organisers have included a gruelling climb up Gunung Raya, which will ultimately decide the outcome of this tour. Lang Square in Kuah will see the start of stage four for 134.3km with the final stage a criterium around Kuah also.
Naturally a lot of attention will focus on the four Malaysian teams - Team Malaysia, Team KL, Selangor Sweet Nice Team and Team NSC Malaysia-participating in the tour that has a 2.6 rating by the UCI, the sport's governing body.
As to the likely favourites are? Well the news on the ground is that the 30-year-old Italian Simone Mori has the best credentials of the 123 starters. In the last two weeks he has got excellent results, particularly in Japan recently, which should see him through to take the laurels of overall victory in the inaugural tour.
Also in with a shout is Glen Chadwick from Team Down Under who is based in Belgium. Team manager, Tim Harris is quietly confident that a result can be achieved here in Langkawi. On paper his team look very formidable, but bike racing can scatter the form book to the wind and leave you with egg on your face when you nail your colours to the mast.
One not to write out of the equation is Tommy Evans who recently finished 12th in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Evans has been racing in France all season and since arriving in Malaysia has adapted to the conditions.
Munster is part of a well-balanced team of six that will go to the start line today in the Gamuda Eagle Tour of Malaysia. The event concludes after 5 days of competition on the island of Langkawi.
Paul Griffin, Tralee; Thomas Hogan, Dungarvan; Dennis Lynch, Kanturk. Also on the team is Tommy Evans, Brian Aherne and Philip Deignam make up the six members.
Start list
Malaysia National Team Albania National Team 1 Mazlee Abdul (Mas) 11 Admir Hasimaj (Alb) 2 Mohd Asril Ab Rahman (Mas) 12 Taulant Hasimaj (Alb) 3 Suhardi Hassan (Mas) 13 Vangjel Kule (Alb) 4 Sazlee Ismail (Mas) 14 Ervin Lika (Alb) 5 Mohd Zaki Nasir (Mas) 15 Besnik Musaj (Alb) 6 Noor Mohd (Mas) 16 Palion Zarka (Alb) Austria National Team Chinese National Team 22 Josef Benetseder (Aut) 31 Fuguo Gao (Chn) 23 Christoph Kerschbaum (Aut) 32 Guo Hui (Chn) 24 Andreas Knapp (Aut) 33 Dengsheng Ma (Chn) 25 Christian Pömer (Aut) 34 Zhiyu Shu (Chn) 26 Joachim Vollmann (Aut) 35 Wang Guozhang (Chn) 36 Yechen Xiao (Chn) Majlis Sukan Negara Malay Team Chinese Taipei 41 Ahmad Falanie Ali (Mas) 51 Hsaio Hua Yu (Tpe) 42 Mohd. Ghaffuan Ghazali (Mas) 52 Yu Liang Chou (Tpe) 43 Syazwan Wan Mohd. (Mas) 53 Chin-Tsan Huang (Tpe) 44 Fairuzizni Abd. Ghani (Mas) 54 Zehlong Chen (Tpe) 45 Amran Mohd Noor (Mas) 55 Kuan Hua Lai (Tpe) 46 Yafiz Jamaludin (Mas) 56 Kuei Shiang Peng (Tpe) Indonesia National Team Iran National Team 61 Cecep Erfiandi (Ina) 71 Mousa Arbati (Iri) 62 Haryanto Dwi (Ina) 72 Ali Reza Haghi (Iri) 63 Yono Iwansuryono (Ina) 73 Iranagh Ghader Mizbani (Iri) 64 Ariehaan Ryan (Ina) 74 Mehdi Sahrabi (Iri) 65 Dikan Sodikan (Ina) 75 Tanha Abbas Saeidi (Iri) 66 Susanto Tonton (Ina) 76 Amir Zargari (Iri) Ireland National Team Japan National Team 81 Brian Ahern (Irl) 91 Hisafumi Imanishi (Jpn) 82 Tommy Evans (Irl) 92 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) 83 Paul Griffin (Irl) 93 Koki Shimbo (Jpn) 84 Thomas Hogan (Irl) 94 Masahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) 85 Denis Lynch (Irl) 95 Tomokazu Fujino (Jpn) 86 Philip Deignan (Irl) 96 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Team Korea Mongolian National Team 101 Dong Hyuk Huh (Kor) 111 Batmunkh Lkhagvasuren (Mgk) 102 Young Gon Kim (Kor) 112 Bolderdene Boldbaatar (Mgl) 103 Min Gyu Kong (Kor) 113 Davaakhuu Nyamjav (Mgl) 104 Min Woo Kong (Kor) 114 Davaatogtokh Temenulzii (Mgl) 105 Soon Jong Kwon (Kor) 115 Nyampeljee Ulziibayar (Mgl) 106 Hyun Oh Park (Kor) 116 Purevsuren Khuyagt (Mgl) Philippines National Team Thailand National Team 121 Emelito Atilano (Phi) 131 Anuthit Harnsopa (Tha) 122 Villamor Baluyot (Phi) 132 Yuthaporn Hintao (Tha) 123 Enrique Domingo (Phi) 133 Prajak Mahawong (Tha) 124 Victor Espiritu (Phi) 135 Thanawat Sommana (Tha) 125 Santy Barnachea (Phi) 126 Merculio Jr Ramos (Phi) Vietnam National Team Selangor Sweet Nice 141 Nguyen Nam Cuc (Vie) 151 Mohd Mahadzir Hamad (Mas) 142 Lam Cong Danh (Vie) 152 Mohd. Yusof Abdul Nasir (Mas) 143 Trinh Sang Dong (Vie) 153 Matnur Matnur (Ina) 144 Nguyen Huu Duc (Vie) 154 Ferinanto Ferinanto (Ina) 145 Mai Cong Hieu (Vie) 155 Shahrulneeza Razali (Mas) 146 Luu Quoc Vinh (Vie) 156 Sulistiyono Sulistiyono (Ina) Team Down Under Klca Invitational 161 Tom Barras (GBr) 171 Musairi Musa (Mas) 162 Ben Brooks (Aus) 172 Robert Lee (Mas) 163 Glen Chadwick (Aus) 173 Nor Affendy Rosli (Mas) 164 Sven De Weerdt (Bel) 174 Najme Wan Mohd. (Mas) 165 Paul Redenbach (Aus) 175 Seong Hoong Tsen (Mas) 166 Mark Roland (Aus) 176 Ah Thiam Wong (Mas) Team Krone Team Jura Suisse Nippon 181 Tore Bekken (Nor) 191 Francesco Cipolletta (Ita) 182 Lars Breiseth (Nor) 192 Bruno Nella (Can) 183 Rune Jogert (Nor) 193 Simone Mori (Ita) 184 Kjetil Groven Löitegaard (Nor)194 Guiseppe Ribolzi (Swi) 185 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) 196 Yasuhiro Yamamoto (Jpn) 186 Roy Sonsterud (Nor) Team Giant A.R.T 201 Sergey Derevyanov (Kgz) 202 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) 203 Sarai Ahad Kazemi (Iri) 204 Kahraman Mominov (Uzb) 205 Jamsran Ulzii Orshikh (Mgl) 206 Timothy Luke Wilson (Aus)
