Today the organizers of the Tour de Langkawi have unveiled the course for the 2014 edition of the Malaysian race. Covering 1,506.5km over 10 stages, the race has longer stages than in the past but as usual, the sprinter-friendly race is expected to be decided on the brutal summit finish on the Genting Highland climb.

From February 27 to March 8, 2014, Malaysia will once again be in the cycling spotlight when the 9th edition of one of Asia's premier stage races will be held in what is likely to be intense heat. As it has been the case for several years, the Tour de Langkawi will offer high-quality racing for some of the major European stars as they prepare for the major events on the 2014 calendar while also offering a chance for the best Asian riders to check their progress against the best riders in the world.

Set to cover a total distance of 1,506.5km over 10 stages, the UCI 2.HC (hors category) race featuring again as one of the biggest events on the UCI Asia Tour calendar, will also bring viewers through a myriad of breathtaking sceneries on offer in Peninsula Malaysia.

Minister of Youth and Sports YB Khairy Jamaluddin announced today that the race would be more nail-biting compared to previous years.

"Not only that, we are expecting exciting competition with all leaders' jerseys possibly changing hands everyday. It will be an open race until the very end, which will definitely keep the fans excited," said Khairy.

The race starts in its spiritual home in Langkawi with a tricky 101.1km route. The peloton won't have it easy with five category 4 climbs throughout the stage, beginning with an ascent up Bukit Malut just five kilometres from the start in Porto Malai.

That will be followed by a stage that begins at a new start venue, in Amanjaya, Sungai Petani, Kedah with the second stage covering 132.5km to the serene finish venue at the Taiping Lake Gardens.

In stage 3, the race will be finishing at Dataran Merdeka, which was previously the iconic last stage for previous editions of LTdL, before Terengganu came in as venue sponsor.

Though the race features its queen stage, the climb to the summit of Genting Highlands on stage 4, Khairy said the winner of the red king of the mountains jersey may not necessarily be the winner on the iconic climb as there are many more points on offer during the final six stages of the race.

Significantly, the holder of the yellow jersey after the Genting Highlands stage will be tested in the remaining six stages, highlighted by stage 7, a lengthy 230.1km coastal route from Kota Tinggi to Pekan, which is the second longest stage in the race history.

In fact, the lengthy stages 6, 7, 8 and 9 will see the peloton cover an average distance of 200km per day, with levels of fatigue playing a major role in opening up the race.

"With 22 teams on the start list, the favourites will also find it hard to win every flat stage, which may also not necessarily finish in bunch sprints," Khairy said.

Being mainly flat, the Tour de Langkawi has mostly been dominated by sprinters, with many stages often ending in bunch sprints. In 2011 and 2012, Andrea Guardini dominated the race but this year he was challenged by riders like Theo Bos, Bryan Coquard and Francesco Chicchi who turned the sprints into a much more level playing field than it has been in the past.

The GC is usually determined on the brutal Genting climb, with the ascent offering the only major challenge in the race. This year Julian Arredondo beat many seasoned professionals to take a huge win that was of part of the reason for the Trek team deciding to sign the talented Colombian for the coming season.

Next year, the Malaysian race will once again offer a strong line-up.

“LTdL is not only known as racing under the intense heat and for the hardest climb up to Genting Highlands," Khairy said. "It is also known that the race receives the warmest welcome and support from all Malaysians. For Asian riders, it is a platform to showcase their talents against the best in the world.

"Theo Bos, Francesco Chicchi, Brian Coquard, Pierre Rolland and Andrea Guardini had a healthy impact on the race last year," he added. "Their superstar status raised the interest of the international media and last year we received increased coverage because of that."

“For the 2014 edition, I am pleased to announce that Pro Team Saxo-Tinkoff have confirmed their participation and I was told that the organizers are still in discussion with 2 more Pro Teams to add to the line-up."

The 18th edition attracted an unprecedented participation of five UCI ProTeams with the Astana, Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Garmin-Sharp, Blanco Pro Cycling and Orica-GreenEdge teams competing in the race.

The 2014 route:
Stage 1 - Thursday 27th February 2014 : Langkawi (101.1km)
Stage 2 - Friday 28th February 2014 : Sungai Petani - Taiping (132.5km)
Stage 3 - Saturday 1st March 2014 : Kampar - Kuala Lumpur (166.5km)
Stage 4 - Sunday 2nd March 2014 : MAS Subang - Genting Highlands (110.9km)
Stage 5 - Monday 3rd March 2014 : Karak - Rembau (139.3km)
Stage 6 - Tuesday 4th March 2014 : Melaka - Pontian Kechil (199.1km)
Stage 7 - Wednesday 5th March 2014 : Kota Tinggi - Pekan (230.1km)
Stage 8 - Thursday 6th March 2014 : Kuantan - Marang (202.6km)
Stage 9 - Friday 7th March 2014 : Bandar Permaisuri - Kuala Terengganu (109.7km)
Stage 10 - Saturday 8th March 2014 : Tasik Kenyir - Kuala Terenganu Loop (114.7km)
TOTAL DISTANCE : 1506.5km