LANGKAWI – Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team’s (TSG) Muhammad Nur Aiman Zariff must double down on his bid to defend his King of Mountain (KoM) red-jersey title going into Stage 7 (Kuah-Gunung Raya) of the 2022 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL), as Movistar’s Ivan Sosa is trailing not too far behind him.
While Stage 6 (Georgetown-Alor Setar) did not feature any climbing zones, the TSG rider had the opportunity to take a break before proceeding to the seventh stage tomorrow.
The 90.8km penultimate stage from Langkawi’s Kuah township to Gunung Raya will feature two climbing zones, including a steep ascent up to the Gunung Raya summit, which is 864m above sea level.
“For me to win the overall red jersey, I would have to work harder at the next two KoMs to get ahead of him (Sosa), but he will also be aiming for the yellow jersey.
“(Being the current leader of the red jersey) is a bonus for me because this year’s tour is more challenging than the 2020 edition because there are participants from WorldTeams and Pro-Continental. The competition is more intense.
“Through my experience, I will not bow down to pressure, but just focus on what I can do best for the team,” said Aiman during an interview.
Aiman is currently leading the KoM category with 29 points, followed by teammate Jambaljamts Sainbayar and Sosa in second and third place respectively.
For the record, Aiman is the only Malaysian to earn the red jersey after having won it in the 2020 LTdL edition. – The Vibes, October 16, 2022
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