BUTTERWORTH – Spanish cyclist, Matteo Malucelli today delivered a powerful performance to win Stage 2 of the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024, from Arau to Butterworth.
Representing JCL Team Ukyo, Malucelli crossed the finishing line with a time of 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 58 seconds, followed by Manuel Penalver from Team Polti Kometa, and Arvid de Kleijn from Tudor Pro Cycling Team in third place.
Meanwhile, experienced rider Mohd Harrif Saleh from Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) attracted attention by being the best Malaysian rider in Stage 2, finishing at seventh place.
“I am very happy with my first victory in a 2 Pro race. This will certainly motivate me to continue pursuing wins in this professional tour. This victory is important not just for me but also for our team. We have been working hard for several weeks to prepare for this LTdL,” said Malucelli.
“I am satisfied to finally deliver a win for the team. Thank you to my teammates who supported me throughout today’s race,” he added.
The 154.5 kilometer Stage 2 was marred by a crash involving several riders, including Malaysian, Philippines and Thai national cyclists, who had to be rushed to the Seberang Jaya hospital,Penang.
The incident occurred about 100 meters from the finish line when a rider collided with a roadside barrier during the sprint to the finish.
“About 200 meters from the end, I saw more space on the right. So, I focused on the right and sprinted towards the finish. I didn’t know what was happening behind me (the crash). It’s unfortunate for those who crashed as everyone was trying to find space to sprint in the straight stretch,” explained Malucelli.
Meanwhile, Gleb Syritsa from Astana Qazaqstan Team, who finished fifth, retained the Green Jersey as the overall leader with a time of 5:39:23.
Syritsa, who won Stage 1 in Langkawi yesterday, is closely followed by Malucelli, with only a 0.02-second time difference, while TSG’s Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli is in third place with a time of 5:39:27.
Aiman retains the White Jersey as the Best Asian rider, challenged by HKS Pro Cycling Team’s Ng Pak Hang and Malaysian national rider, Muhammad Yusri Shaari.
Syritsa, considered a top contender for the LTdL 2024 title, also maintained the Orange Jersey as the King of the Mountains, amassing a total of 23 points, followed by Malucelli with 22 points and Penalver with 17 points.
With no climbing zones in Stage 2, the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains still belongs to Tyler Tomkinson of Ara Skip Capital, who has 2 points, while Aiman remains behind with 1 point.
After two stages, the VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanie team leads overall with a time of 16:58:45, followed by Corratec Vini Fantini and JCL Team Ukyo.
Stage 3 tomorrow will start from Taiping, Perak, to Cameron Highlands, covering a distance of 170.3 kilometers with three climbing zones in Kuala Kangsar, Kampung Raja and Brinchang, along with three sprint zones in Kuala Kangsar, Sungai Siput, and Ipoh.
