Tour de Lengkawi stage canceled

Tour de Lengkawi stage canceled

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The second stage of the one million
ringgit (US$400,000) Tour de Langkawi, one of Asia's richest
cycling races, was cancelled after three professional teams
pulled out complaining of poor organization, reports said
yesterday.

Race organizers First Cartel said the stage in Malaysia's
Sarawak state was cancelled after teams complained of damaged
cycles, missing luggage and a seven-hour flight delay, the New
Straits Times said.

Three teams, Mapei and MG from Italy and Casino from France,
initially wanted to withdraw from the entire race but later
agreed to continue from the third stage in southern Johor state.

The cancellation of the second stage, announced by the
International Cycling Union (ICU), shortened the 12-stage Tour by
one leg.

The scheduled 123.3-kilometer second stage around the Sarawak
capital of Kuching was replaced with an unofficial criterium of
six 8.8 kilometer laps and the prize money was reduced by 10
percent.

A statement from First Cartel said 150 riders from 25 teams as
well as accompanying officials had a seven-hour wait at the
airport in eastern Sabah state before their chartered flight left
for Kuching.

Some riders were upset to find their bicycles damaged, while
several complained of missing luggage, including Malaysian coach
John Hardekev, the daily said.

Italian rider Gianni Bugno, who won the World Championships in
1991 (Munich) and 1992 (Spain), said his Mapei team may not
participate in the Tour next year.

"We can only judge the Tour after enduring it," Bugno told the
New Straits Times.

MG and Casino were also reported to have threatened not to
compete next year if conditions did not improve.

Eric Wohlberg of Canada won the first stage in Sabah, while
the unofficial Kuching race went to Frank McCormack of the United
States' Saturn team, ahead of Glen Mitchell of New Zealand with
Mariano Friedick, another Saturn rider, third.