By TesfaNews,
Malaysia’s 2014 Tour de Langkawi has been concluded today with Andrea Guardini wining the 10th and final stage while Eritrean Merhawi Kudus of team MTN-Qhubeka finished second overall place on GC behind Iranian tour winner Mirsamad Pourseyedigolakhour (Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling Team).
Pourseyedigolakhour celebrated the victory to become Asia’s first ever overall winner of the tour. His team had worked very hard to maintain his slim 8 seconds lead over second placed contender Merhawi Kudus in the six stages that followed the queen stage of the race in Genting Highlands on the fourth stage.
Followers, however, immediately expressed concern over his win. In 2011, Pourseyedigolakhour failed an EPO test en route to winning his national tour before he was slapped with a two-year ban.
His victory reminds some followers to the Turkish rider Mustafa Sayar who won the Tour of Turkey last year ahead of top teams and tested positive two months later. Officials stripped his results and passed it to his second contender Eritrean Natnael Berhane. If authorities would able to confirm any similar doping offence for Pourseyedigolakhour, his victory will automatically pass to the 20 year old Eritrean Merhawi Kudus, at ease.
This young and new African star has also helped his team to make a big impact at this edition of the tour.
“I’m very happy to finish 2nd in this race. I think I was the best on the Genting climb and I know I can win that stage next time. For the rest of the race I just stayed out of trouble, I must thank my team for their support. We rode really well together this week.”
MTN- Qhubeka becomes the overall team champion of the tour ahead of Tabriz Petrochemical.
The Tour de Langkawi is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race. The race was first organized in 1996 and has been held annually. As the Tour gained prominence and popularity the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe.
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