Lennart Jasch flew to the Tour de Langkawi with a single great objective: to try his hand at general classification in short stage races. The German rider from the Tudor team not only accomplished the mission, but passed the test with flying colors, returning home with a stage victory, the best climber's jersey and, most importantly, the overall trophy. It's a golden year for Jasch, who had even started 2026 without yet being formally a professional athlete, then came the victory at Tour of The Alps, the Giro dell'Abruzzo and now this first coronation that has all the makings of something great.

We followed the Malaysian race at his side, from the eve right through to the grand finale in Putrajaya and we got to know a young man who is madly in love with sport to the point of turning his life as a skater upside down and choosing to start all over again. At Langkawi he never made grand proclamations, he wanted to test himself, to understand if his two victories were just a fluke and whether he had the stamina to last from the first to the last day, and now we can say with certainty that Jasch is a pure talent, with only two and a half years of cycling behind him and just a handful of months as a professional, he is only at the beginning of his journey. "In Malaysia I did something completely new, I didn't race with the sole thought of giving everything that day, but also thinking ahead to the following stages. They were difficult days, especially mentally, because having the leader's jersey I had to show others that I was confident in my abilities even when I wasn't. Throughout the race I had only 26 seconds' advantage over the second-placed rider and I couldn't afford to make mistakes, it was hot, we were going very fast, but I couldn't give up. I lived every day as a challenge, I raced alongside my team and I can't believe it, it's all still surreal. I did my first bike race two and a half years ago, I still remember that day, I couldn't even be called a cyclist and yet now I find myself with a trophy," Lennart explained. From the outside it seemed he had everything under control, among the most smiling faces in the group, always available to the public and sponsors, an incredible ability to manage the race that some veterans can only envy.

After his victory in the second stage, one of the hardest in the program, he didn't just limit himself to controlling, but orchestrated his teammates perfectly and when that wasn't enough, he himself tried to attack or close down his rivals. His success at the Tour de Langkawi, however, has a much greater value both for us who write about it and for him who lived it, it's proof that it's possible to change your path, but to do so you must commit yourself even more. "It's a special victory because I can prove that it's possible to come from another sport and start a new career, change everything in a few years, but not deny the past. I've been practicing sports for years, and even though until recently cycling wasn't my priority, I've always raced, it's just that it was a different sport. Every day I wake up with the desire to train to improve, even when I was going to school, then I graduated and was able to dedicate myself to this 100%. My goal was never to win at all costs, but rather to try to give the best version of myself, no matter what sport it is. I wanted to change everything, I took a risk and I succeeded only because I found someone brave enough to bet on me". Between the fatigue and the Malaysian heat it's difficult to hold back the emotion, Lennart Jasch has accustomed us to not beating around the bush and this time too he tells us things as they are: he's incredulous and if he's made it this far it's because he loves sport in a visceral way. His story should be an example for those who, faced with a difficulty, would want to give up, and yet there's always the possibility of taking the good things and starting over from scratch.

With a contract at Tudor until 2028 and given the results, one immediately wonders what role Jasch might have in the team. If at the beginning of the year he was almost unknown, moreover only a development team rider, now he is effectively one of the most promising new faces not only of the Swiss formation, but of the entire peloton. "In the Tudor team there are so many high-level riders and I hope to have a bit of space. I think there are things in one's career that you can't plan, you can train a lot but if no one notices your potential you'll never get space, but that's no reason to give up. I was fortunate to find someone who believed in me, in Malaysia I wanted to test myself and now the possibility opens up to become a rider who can compete for general classification in short stage races, but honestly I've just started to discover myself and I don't yet know what kind of athlete I can be". Meanwhile, Jasch received the call while in Malaysia to participate in Lombardia, his first monument of his career, an important step that he wants to face with a smile. "It won't be easy at all, it's the hardest race for climbers and I don't think I've ever tackled a race so long, I'm scared but also curious", he tells us before we say goodbye. It will be the last race of his already incredible season, then it will be time for assessments, a winter to understand his next steps, new objectives, to understand what kind of rider he can become. Lennart Jasch, however, is in no hurry, his journey is only just beginning and he wants to enjoy every bit of it.