Kuala lumpur: The Spanish ProTeam, Equipo Kern Pharma, will fill the spot left by the French WorldTeam, Cofidis, which has withdrawn from the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2025 race, scheduled to run from Sept 28 to Oct 5. This development was confirmed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the LTdL 25 Secretariat, Emir Abdul Jalal, who stated that Cofidis contacted the organisers to pull out last Thursday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Emir Abdul Jalal expressed a confident outlook despite Cofidis’ withdrawal. He acknowledged the absence of a WorldTeam but emphasized the competitive spirit of LTdL 2025 would remain intact with Equipo Kern Pharma stepping in. “Although it’s a bit disappointing to be missing a WorldTeam this time, we are still confident that the competitive spirit of LTdL 2025 will not be affected because Kern Pharma is also a great team,” he stated.

The decision to include Equipo Kern Pharma was expedited due to time constraints, as there was not enough time to lobby another WorldTeam. Kern Pharma, previously on a list of four teams that had been set aside, responded promptly to the invitation and confirmed their readiness to participate in LTdL 2025.

Equipo Kern Pharma has a notable history with the LTdL, making their debut in the 2023 edition and finishing third overall in the best team category. They went on to showcase their strength by becoming the champions in the same category last year.

LTdL 2025 will span across 12 states in Peninsular Malaysia, covering a total distance of 1,243.5 kilometers. The race will feature 22 teams, including two WorldTeams, nine ProTeams, 10 Continental teams, and one Malaysian national team. It will kick off in Pulau Langkawi for a 96.5 km stage and continue through various routes, including Padang Besar-Kepala Batas (170.1 km), Gerik-Pasir Puteh (198.2 km), and more, culminating in Tangkak-Kuala Lumpur (180.5 km).