Malucelli Claims Second Stage Win as Jasch Retains Orange Jersey
(Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia, September 29)
XDS Astana Team sprinter Matteo Malucelli claimed his second victory of the 2026 Le Tour de Langkawi on Tuesday, once again proving the strongest in a bunch sprint at the end of Stage 3 from Sungai Petani to Kuala Kangsar.
After 189.7km of racing, the Italian repeated the winning formula that brought him success in Stage 1, launching his sprint in the final 50 meters to overtake Riley Pickrell (Modern Adventure Cycling Team) and secure another victory. Tudor Cycling Team's young Belgian rider Seppe Van Den Boer completed the podium in third place.
On a largely flat route featuring only one Category 2 climb, the race unfolded as expected, with the sprint teams controlling the peloton for most of the day before preparing for a high-speed finish in Kuala Kangsar.
XDS Astana once again delivered a near-perfect lead-out. Supported by Aaron Gate, Lev Gonov, and Gleb Syritsa, Malucelli was guided into prime position before launching his decisive sprint.
The 32-year-old completed the stage in 4:31:59 with an average speed of 41.85 km/h, earning his eighth career stage victory at Le Tour de Langkawi.
The result further strengthened Malucelli's position in the sprint classification. Wearing the blue jersey, he now leads the standings with 32 points, eight ahead of Pickrell, while Ronan Auge (Unibet Tietema Rockets) sits third with 14 points.
Speaking after the stage, Malucelli credited the team's collective effort.
"It was all down to perfect teamwork, but it certainly wasn't easy. The team controlled the race and brought me to the front from the left side of the peloton before creating the final opening."
He also felt timing was crucial in the final sprint.
"I was probably a little luckier. I launched at exactly the right moment. Riley started his sprint earlier, but in the final 20 meters he began to lose speed while I was still accelerating."
With two victories already secured, Malucelli admitted the team was highly satisfied with its start to the race.
"What makes us happiest is seeing more young sprinters emerging at races like this, including Seppe Van Den Boer in third place today."
The Italian added that after the upcoming mountain stages, he intends to switch roles and support his teammates before targeting more sprint opportunities later in the race.
While Malucelli dominated the sprint finish, the general classification remained unchanged.
Lennart Jasch of Tudor Cycling Team finished safely in the peloton and retained both the overall leader's orange jersey and the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.
"There was no special pressure today," Jasch said.
"I rode as usual in the peloton. Tonight I'll study tomorrow's route and prepare for Cameron Highlands."
The German rider also expressed delight at teammate Van Den Boer's breakthrough podium result.
With the race now heading into the mountains, Stage 4 from Meru Raya to Cameron Highlands is expected to provide the first major test of the overall contenders. The Hors Category summit finish at 1,451 meters above sea level is likely to reshape the general classification battle and determine whether Jasch can maintain his lead.
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