MELAKA, Young national road cycling squad rider Muhammad Yusri Shaari can breathe a sigh of relief after enduring the challenging first three hilly stages of the 2024 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL). The 25-year-old, who plays the role of an all-rounder, is set to fully utilise his skills to help his team compete for a top-three spot among Asian teams starting from the sixth stage tomorrow, which features a flat terrain from Batu Pahat to Kulai, spanning 123.4 kilometres (km). 'The toughest stages are behind us, and the remaining three stages of LTdL provide opportunities for all-rounders like me and sprinters. 'Yesterday's fourth stage was the most dreaded as we could only fall 19 minutes behind the peloton to avoid exceeding the time limit. So, with today's fifth stage completed, there are no more hills, and all riders can feel relieved,' he said. Earlier, the team, led by head coach Mohd Yusof Nasir, faced setbacks after losing team captain Muhammad Elmi Jumari due to a finger and collarbone injury, while A bdul Azim Aliyas was disqualified for failing to finish within the time limit (OTL) in the fourth stage. For the next stages, we only have all-rounders and climbers. Afiq (Muhammad Afiq Huznie Othman) and I are all-rounders, while Muhsin (Muhsin Al Redha Misbah) and Ren Bao (Tsen Ren Bao) are climbers, but Muhsin can also act as a sprinter. We plan to initiate an early breakaway in the sixth stage tomorrow,' said Muhammad Yusri . Source: BERNAMA News Agency