I think I stayed in Kuala Lumpur longer than any traveler in the history of travel. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was a good place to recharge my batteries and catch up on things.

Part of the reason for the extended stay, though, was catching the final stage of the Tour de Langkawi on February 1st.

While a far cry from the competition, grandeur and history of the Tour de France (link: my thoughts on why the Travel Channel should be showing the Tour de France), this race has been around for 15 years already and is the biggest cycling event in Asia.

While the course changes each year, it generally covers most of Malaysia’s prime destinations – Langkawi, Penang, Genting Highlands, Malacca and KL. I saw only the final stage in KL this year, although following it for the duration would certainly be a good (albeit quick) overview of Malaysia. Past challenges of getting the equipment across water has kept it restricted to the peninsular section of the nation, so you wouldn’t catch Sabah if you were to chase the riders.

The podium, being readied for the arrival of the day's winners.

Past winners include well-known US riders Tom Danielson and Chris Horner. Because it’s very early in the year, it’s a good testing ground for young riders as they gear up for the bigger races like the Giro d’Italia and Le Tour. This year, the race was won by Venezuela’s Jonathan Monsalve, while Italy’s Andrea Guardini won that day’s stage.

The ride was well organized, though lightly attended. Most of the hostels and hotel staff barely knew it was happening, though the riders sailed past their front door six times on the final loops toward the finish line. I drew course maps and let everyone know about the road closures they’d be facing, but couldn’t find a single person in the hostel who was interested in checking it out. *sigh* – professional cycling doesn’t have a lot of fans once you get off the European continent.

The music, dancing, sponsor booths and broadcast helicopters brought a lively energy to an area of KL that is typically quiet on a Tuesday afternoon. I didn’t make it to the other areas of the course, but it shut down several main roads for a couple of hours which certainly made traffic an interesting challenge that day.