Marchante on the road to Malaysia

Jose Angel Gomez Marchante departed Tuesday afternoon from Barajas airport for Frankfurt, where he was to join his fellow teammates for an overnight stay before heading to Malaysia with the intention of contesting the Tour de Langkawi.

His Cervélo Team was scheduled to arrive three days prior to the start of the Tour de Langkawi, so that Gomez Marchante could adapt six-hour time difference from his home in Spain.

"I really want to start [racing] competitively although the team has given me some peace of mind by telling me to go accrue miles and days of competition," he said. "Anyway, I'd like to try in the fifth stage to see about my current fitness so that I can refine my preparations to face my most important objectives."

The fifth stage is the only non-flat stage in the race.