KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – In a significant development for Asia’s premier cycling event, two prominent French ProTeams, Team TotalEnergies and Unibet Tietema Rockets, are set to make their return to the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 (LTdL25). Their participation marks the teams’ first appearance on the LTdL stage after a long lay-off, bringing with them a roster of experienced climbers and one-day race specialists that promises to shake up the General Classification (GC) battle.
The return of these two teams is particularly noteworthy given their history. TotalEnergies, the new name for a team formerly known as Bonjour, Bouygues Telecom, Europcar, and Direct Energie, was a regular fixture in the LTdL in the early 2000s. Unibet, meanwhile, last competed in the 2007 edition of the tour as Unibet.com, before temporarily withdrawing from professional cycling sponsorships. Their comeback to the eight-stage LTdL25 stage has garnered significant attention, especially as their rider lists suggest they are focused on competing for the individual and team GC honours.
According to Emir Abdul Jalal, the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 (LTdL25) Chief Operating Officer (COO), this strategic focus on climbers and one-day race specialists, rather than renowned sprinters, will be a key dynamic of the race. He believes the teams will focus their energy on the decisive stages that include climbing routes, such as the Gerik-Pasir Puteh stage, the iconic Temerloh-Bukit Frasers climb, and the final stage featuring the hilly roads of Bukit Antu and Ampang Look Out.
“We are confident that these two French teams will showcase their own unique strategies, especially since their riders are rich with experience competing throughout Europe,” Emir said. Their deep well of European racing experience is expected to add a new level of tactical complexity and excitement to the Malaysian tour.
TotalEnergies: A Balanced Threat
Team TotalEnergies, which has accumulated an impressive eight wins and 35 podium finishes this year, is fielding a well-rounded squad. The team’s primary GC contenders are four climbing specialists: Joris Delbove, Alan Jausseaume, Nicola Mancerou, and the young British rider Adam Mitchell. Delbove, 25, is a proven talent, having won a stage in the Tour of Rwanda this year, while Jausseaume, 27, finished second in a stage of this year’s Vuelta a Andalucia. Mitchell, 23, brings a recent victory at the Tour Nivernais-Morvan to the team, and Mancerou, 22, is expected to play a key role as a domestique.
While their focus is clearly on the mountains, TotalEnergies has not completely abandoned the flat stages. The team is also fielding two experienced sprinters, Lorenzo Manzin and Jason Tesson. Manzin, 31, is a veteran of four Grand Tours and has two third-place finishes in this year’s Tour of Rwanda, making him a formidable presence in the sprints. Tesson, 27, is a proven winner with nine professional victories and recent top-three finishes, adding another layer to the team’s strategic options.
Unibet: All-In on the Mountains
Unibet Tietema Rockets, on the other hand, has committed fully to the climbing strategy. Their roster consists entirely of riders who are strong climbers, positioning them as a pure GC threat. Adrien Maire, 24, is a key figure, having won Stage 4 of the Tour of Hellas on his way to a third-place overall finish. He also placed a notable second in the Tour du Doubs and ninth overall in the Tour of Turkiye.
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Joining him are two veteran riders: Giovanni Carboni, 30, who was crowned King of the Mountains in this year’s Tour of Hellas, and Odd Christian Eiking, 30, a seasoned competitor who finished third overall in the Tour of Sibiu. The team’s three other GC contenders—Cedric Bakke Christophersen, Owen Geleijn, and British rider Zeb Kyffin—add to the squad’s formidable climbing power, making Unibet a team to watch on every ascent.
The eight-stage LTdL25 will pass through all 12 states in Peninsular Malaysia, covering a total distance of 1,224.2 km. The 2.ProSeries status tour will begin in Langkawi on September 28 and conclude at KLCC on October 5. With the return of these two powerhouse French teams and their aggressive, GC-focused strategies, this year’s PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi promises to be one of the most exciting and tactically compelling editions in its history.
