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TUESDAY | SEPT 30, 2025

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TSG Achik finishes sixth in LTdL25 stage two despite slipped chain

TERENGGANU Pro Cycling (TSG) rider Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan success fully completed the second stage of the race from Padang Besar to Kepala Batas yesterday, despite his bicycle chain coming off in the last 2km of the race. Wan Abdul Rahman, affectionately known as Achik, said that he neverthe less got up to catch up with the other riders to finish the race in sixth place with a time of three hours 29 minutes 59 seconds (s) and was crowned the

are expected to be TSG’s backup in the climbing stage. “Tomorrow I will try to find a safe position at Bukit Gerik. If I miss, I will look for a large group to reach the fin ish,” he said. Earlier, Tudor Pro Cycling Team’s Arvid de Kleijn bounced back from a disappointing third placing in Stage One by romping to victory in Stage Two of the 2025 Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) yesterday. The 31-year-old Dutchman powered to victory in another mass finish, com

pleting the 163km ride from Padang Besar to Kepala Batas in 3:29:59s. Stage One winner Matteo Malucelli of XDS Astana Team had to play second fiddle yesterday, while Enrico Zanoncello of VF Group Bardiani-CSF came in third. “I came here to win, and I knew I could do it with the support of my teammates. They did a fantastic job and put me in the perfect position,” said De Kleijn. Malucelli, however, held on to the Green Jersey as the overall leader and the Orange Jersey (Sprint King). – Bernama

best Malaysian and Asean rider for the second stage. “For the position just now, in the last 2km, Achik tried to follow the Astana rider but missed because a team squeezed me and my bicycle chain fell off.

“So I put the chain back on and really put a lot of effort into catching up with the other riders and managed to become the best Asian stage rider today,”he said when met after the race. Meanwhile, when asked about today’s third stage race, he admitted that the climbing route from Gerik to Pasir Puteh would pose a big chal lenge for him and the team. However, he is optimistic that his teammates will be able to over come the climb, especially

Vadim Pronskiy, Mathias Bregnhoj and Adne Van Engelen who

The peloton of racers cycling through the LTdL25 stage two route between Padang Besar and Kepala Batas (163km) yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Arsenal level up Gunners strike late for ‘beautiful’ Newcastle win, close in on Liverpool

A RSENAL produced a dramatic late fightback to win 2-1 at Newcastle on Sunday and lay down an early marker in the Premier League title race. The Gunners were heading for a fourth consecutive defeat at St James’ Park after falling behind to Nick Woltemade’s first half header. However, Mikel Merino headed in the equaliser before Gabriel Magalhaes powered in from a 96th-minute corner to lift Arsenal into second and within two points of leaders Liverpool. “To win in the manner that we have done it, wow, what a feeling!” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said. “Football is about emotion and going through things and today we had a beautiful one at the end of the match.” Liverpool’s first defeat of the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday had handed Arsenal the chance to close in at the top of the table. For a long time it looked like Arteta’s men would let that opportunity slip by in a bad tempered encounter on Tyneside. But the manner of victory will give the Gunners belief this is their season after

Arsenal could still have lost it. This time a VAR review went their way when Gabriel blocked Anthony Elanga’s cross with an outstretched arm. The Brazilian swiftly went up the other end to become the hero when he beat Pope to Martin Odegaard’s corner to spark celebrations of what could be a huge three points when the title is decided in May. “Two really late goals here at home hurts. We have to reflect and acknowledge that we weren’t at our best,” said Howe. “There was not lack of effort but from a footballing side, it wasn’t quite there.” Newcastle remain 15th with just one win from their opening six Premier League games. At Villa Park, Ollie Watkins ended his barren spell in front of goal as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season on Sunday. Champions League quarterfinalists last season, Villa began the day in the relegation zone after taking just three points from their opening five league games. Victory lifts Villa up to 16th, two points behind Fulham, who slip to 10th. – AFP

remarkable way.” There was no sense of the Spaniard holding back as Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze returned to the starting line-up. Eze nearly made his mark within five minutes as his low drive was brilliantly turned behind by Nick Pope. Arsenal were furious moments later when Pope escaped conceding a penalty. Referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the spot but was instructed by VAR to review the incident and overturned his original decision for a touch on the ball by Pope before he wiped out Viktor Gyokeres. Instead Newcastle broke the deadlock on 34 minutes. Alexander Isak had repeatedly been the scourge of Arsenal in meetings between the sides in recent years. Woltemade stepped into the departed Swede’s shoes with his second goal since becoming the Magpies’ record signing to replace Isak. Arsenal dominated the second period but struggled to break down the well-organised mass ranks of Eddie Howe’s back line until Arteta’s substitutions changed the game.

finishing second in each of the last three campaigns. “There are moments in the season and obviously with the start that we had already, and the difficult fixtures that we had, we have the opportunity to close that gap,” Arteta said. “To do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us I think it shows how much the team wants it (the title).” Arteta’s conservative team selection in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City was much criticised. “We discussed that to go to the next level, first of all, you have to learn from the past and certainly we take some lessons and very sore different and sore moments in this ground,” said Arteta of Arsenal ending their Newcastle hoodoo. “Today was an opportunity that the game brings you again in a really important week in the Premier League after all the tough places that we’ve already been, very early in the season, to show who we are, who do we want to be, our ambition, and the way that we want to play. “I think the team showed that today in a

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