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Tinkoff's second guard will get the reins at Langkawi

By Cycling News

published 5 March 2015

Beltran and Hansen will lead team in Malaysian 2.HC race

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Tinkoff-Saxo's Jesper Hansen in the white jersey(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)

The riders head to the top of Genting Highlands(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Astana's Alexandr Dyachenko and Androni Giocattoli's Jackson Rodriguez make their way towards the top of Genting Highlands and into some misty weather.(Image credit: Shane Goss)

The Tour of Langkawi peloton passes an arch(Image credit: Luca Bettini)

The last stage of Le Tour de Langawi(Image credit: Sonoko Tanaka)

Edward Alexander Beltrán Suárez (Tinkoff-Saxo) testing his legs(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Young Tinkoff-Saxo climbers Eduard Beltran and Jesper Hansen will get the chance to ride for themselves when the team heads to the eight-stage Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia March 8-15.

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Le Tour de Langkawi past winners

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Sports director Tristan Hoffman said Tinkoff-Saxo's participation in Malaysia provides an opportunity for the younger riders to prove themselves while the team's mainstay leaders compete in Europe.

Along with Beltran and Hansen, Bruno Pires, Pavel Brutt, Michael Kolar and Nikolay Trusov will compete in Langkawi. Kolar and Trusov will be targeting the sprints, while Beltran and Hansen will make a run at the general classification.

"It looks like this stage will once again decide the GC, so Beltran and I will have to stay at the front, be aware of breakaways and do our best on the final 19.6km climb."

Hansen said the race can be particularly difficult because of the hot tropical conditions.

"I got some really important speed into the legs at Tour of Qatar," Hansen said, “so I'm looking forward to getting started."

"If you want to protect a few riders it is important to be there, since you don't have many riders to pull at the front."