KUALA KANGSAR, Perak, 29 Sept – Matteo Malucelli secured his second stage win of Le Tour de Langkawi 2026 (LTdL26) today as the XDS-Astana rider dominated the flat 189.7km Stage 3 route from Sungai Petani, Kedah to Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
Utilizing the same tactic by sprinting in the final 50 meters, he once again defeated Modern Adventure Cycling Team rider Riley Pickrell, while Tudor Cycling Team’s Seppe Van Der Boer took third place.
It marks the eighth stage victory overall for the 32-year-old Italian-born WorldTeam rider, who credited teammates Aaron Gate, Lev Gonov and Gleb Syritsa for guiding him to the front before he launched a fast sprint past Pickrell, just as he did in Stage 1 from Shah Alam to Kampar.
Malucelli led the main peloton to complete the 189.7km ride in 4 hours, 31 minutes, and 59 seconds averaging a speed of 41.85 km/h – extending his lead in the blue Sprint King jersey competition, sponsored by the 2027 SEA and Para Games Organising Secretariat (MASOC).
The Italian now accumulates 32 points, holding an 8-point lead over Pickrell, with Ronan Auge (Unibet Rose Rockets) sitting in third place (14 points).
With a flat route lacking tough climbs, the general classification time lead remains with Tudor rider Lennart Jasch, who finished 44th in Stage 3.
He continues to wear two major jerseys – the leader’s orange jersey sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) for the General Classification (GC), and the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey sponsored by Bubbles O2.
Aisan Racing Team’s Yuhi Todome also avoided taking risks, finishing 28th to retain the white Best Asian Rider jersey sponsored by the National Sports Council (MSN).
Meanwhile, Malucelli stated that with two stage wins so far, he is highly satisfied and that the results have relieved the pressure within the Astana team itself.
He explained that his teammates controlled the race conditions and brought him up from the left side to the front before creating the final gap for him to sprint.
“It was all down to perfect teamwork, but it wasn’t easy. I was luckier to push at the right moment when Riley, who sprinted earlier, began losing power while I gained speed in the final 20 meters.
“What pleases all of us is that many younger sprint specialists are emerging in races like this, including the third-place finisher from Tudor.
“After this (the climbing stages to Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands), I will assist my teammates the best I can before focusing on adding more stage wins on the remaining flat routes afterward,” he said.
Jasch commented that wearing the orange jersey in Stage 3 brought no extra pressure, and he is focusing stage by stage to maintain his general classification lead.
“There was no pressure while riding today, just riding as usual inside the main pack. I will study the route profile (to Cameron Highlands) tonight to prepare for tomorrow,” said Jasch, who expressed joy in seeing teammate Van Der Boer step onto the third step of the podium at the end of Stage 3.
He added that in the absence of sprint specialist Arvid de Kleijn at LTdL26, the 20-year-old Belgian rider – who has a background in cyclocross, showed strong potential in the final sprint and has a bright future ahead.
However, Jasch’s polka dot jersey, which he secured at the end of Stage 2 yesterday with 15 points, is now closely ‘threatened’ by Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) rider Muhammad Nur Aiman Zariff, who dominated the Category 2 climbing zone in Gerik.
The 2020 and 2022 King of the Mountains titleholder now has 14 points and could overtake Jasch if he scores in the upcoming climbing zones.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) saw their rider Mohamad Izzat Hilmi Abdul Halil finish the stage in fifth place, while Malaysian national squad rider Muhammad Yusri Shaari, who featured in the initial six-rider breakaway group, was awarded the Most Combative Rider award.
Tomorrow’s Stage 4 of LTdL26 from Meru Raya to Cameron Highlands will cover a distance of 140.1km. It features 3 intermediate sprint zones in Gopeng, Kampar and Tapah before riders face a formidable Hors Category climb to the finish line at the summit of Cameron Highlands, standing at 1,451 meters above sea level.
Covering a total distance of 1,285.5km across its 30th edition this year, LTdL26 is a 2.ProSeries status tour organized by KBS through MSN, with full support from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF).
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