Jasch Conquers Gunung Jerai and Takes Overall Lead at Le Tour de Langkawi
(Gunung Jerai, Malaysia, September 28) Germany's Lennart Jasch (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) delivered a commanding climbing performance to win Stage 2 of the 2026 Le Tour de Langkawi and seize both the overall leader's orange jersey and the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.
The 143km stage connected two of Malaysia's most distinctive destinations. Riders departed from Taiping, a historic town in Perak renowned for its colonial-era heritage and tin-mining past, before heading north to Gunung Jerai in Kedah, one of northern Malaysia's most iconic mountains. Rising above the surrounding plains and overlooking the Strait of Malacca, Gunung Jerai has served as a navigational landmark for traders and sailors for centuries.
After a relatively controlled opening phase, the decisive battle unfolded on the final 11km climb to the summit finish. As gradients steepened, the peloton shattered and the race became a pure test of climbing ability.
Jasch completed the stage in 3:37:21, overtaking Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider Abel Balderstone inside the final kilometer after launching his decisive acceleration with around 2km remaining. Balderstone finished second, 26 seconds behind, while teammate Jan Castellon Robalt completed the podium a further six seconds back.
The victory lifted the 25-year-old German rider into the overall lead with a cumulative time of 7:44:04, 20 seconds ahead of Balderstone. Jasch also moved to the top of the mountains classification with 15 points.
Speaking after the finish, Jasch said the result was not entirely unexpected. "I come from a region with plenty of hills, so I wasn't really surprised. In the end, today's stage was about who was strongest on the climb."
He also praised the work of his teammates. "They positioned me perfectly at the front before the climb began. Once the climbing started, riders began to drop away. I saw Balderstone attack, but I remained calm and only accelerated in the final two kilometers."
Jasch emphasized that Mount Jerai was a climb where physical strength mattered more than tactics. "The heat and humidity were extremely difficult, and the climb itself was very hard. On a climb like this, you can't hide your real level."
"It may sound strange, but this isn't the kind of stage where tactics decide everything. Usually, the strongest rider wins. It's a climb that exposes everyone's true ability, and it's a very big mountain."
The Tudor rider added that the win gives him added confidence ahead of the race's two major mountain tests at Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands later this week.
Meanwhile, Stage 1 winner Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana Team) surrendered the overall lead but successfully retained the blue sprinters' jersey with 17 points, five ahead of Riley Pickrell.
The white jersey for Best Asian Rider changed hands to Yuhi Todome (Aisan Racing Team), who now holds a 15-second advantage over Kee Zhe Yie (Terengganu Cycling Team).
The Most Combative Rider award went to Malaysian rider Muhammad Iqbal Daniel Mohd Nawawi, whose solo attack lasted nearly 20 kilometers before two punctures ended his challenge.
Stage 3 on Tuesday will cover 189.9km from Sungai Petani to Kuala Kangsar. Featuring three intermediate sprints and one Category 2 climb, the stage is expected to reignite the battles for both the sprint and mountain classifications before likely ending in a bunch sprint.
With Mount Jerai now behind them, the general classification battle has truly begun. Lennart Jasch wears the orange jersey, but the toughest tests of the 2026 Tour de Langkawi are still to come.
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