Matteo Malucelli Undergoes Hospital Examination After Pre-Race Training Crash, XDS Astana Remains Optimistic About Tour de Langkawi Start
(Shah Alam, Malaysia, September 26) With the 2026 Le Tour de Langkawi set to begin tomorrow, an unexpected incident emerged from the pre-race riders' press conference held this afternoon at the Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam. XDS Astana Team rider Aaron Gate revealed that the team's lead sprinter Matteo Malucelli crashed during a training ride this morning while negotiating a corner and has since been taken to hospital for further examination.
As one of the team's key assets for the sprint stages, Malucelli's crash inevitably creates uncertainty in XDS Astana's race plans heading into the opening stage. However, Gate emphasized that the team remains calm and confident in its overall depth, even if the Italian sprinter is ultimately unable to start the race.
"If Matteo can't race, we still have very strong sprint options within the team," Gate said during the press conference.
"We also have Lev Gonov. During the recent Tour of Taihu Lake, he provided outstanding support for both Matteo Malucelli and another rider competing here in Malaysia, Gleb Syritsa. He will be fully committed to helping our sprinters."
Despite the setback, the team remains optimistic that Malucelli will recover in time to line up for Stage 1 tomorrow. XDS Astana is currently awaiting the results of his medical assessment.
Even in the worst-case scenario, the team believes it has alternative options to pursue success. Gate pointed to Colombian climber Harold Martín López, who is capable of targeting strong results in the mountain stages and contributing across different terrain throughout the race.
Discussing his own ambitions for this year's Tour de Langkawi, Gate made it clear that stage victories remain a primary goal.
"I hope to win more sprint stages," said the New Zealander.
Gate enjoyed a successful campaign at the 2025 Tour de Langkawi, where he claimed victory on the final stage from Tangkak to Kuala Lumpur, ending his race on a high note. Returning to Malaysia this year, he is eager to build on that success and add more victories to his palmarès.
Interestingly, Malucelli's latest accident echoes an unfortunate moment from last year's race. During Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de Langkawi, from Shah Alam to Port Dickson, Malucelli crashed while wearing the race leader's orange jersey and was forced to abandon the event. At the time, the Italian was enjoying one of the strongest periods of his season before seeing his campaign come to an abrupt end.
One year later, back in Shah Alam, Malucelli has once again suffered a crash on the eve of the race. Fortunately, the team's outlook remains positive regarding his chances of taking the start tomorrow.
With the opening stage now just hours away, Malucelli's condition has become one of the key talking points ahead of the 2026 Tour de Langkawi. For XDS Astana, a team aiming for both stage victories and a strong overall classification campaign, the coming hours and the outcome of his medical evaluation could prove crucial.
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