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.