Among the race for stage wins, podium spots and top placings on the overall standings at the eight-day Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi, another battle was unfolding, one which could have ramifications extending far beyond the outcome of this 2.Pro ranked race.
It's true that every year there are layers of significance to the event, which is named after a tourist island but also traverses a nation, bringing the sport to a swathe of spectators dotted across the country from right in the shadow of the Petronas Towers of Kuala Lumpur, the beachsides of Langkawi and through the jungle territory near Gerik.
