BINTULU: JCL Team Ukyo’s Matteo Malucelli pointed to the sky as he clinched an emotional victory in the seventh stage of Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) today.
The breakaway was allowed to have their fun earlier in the day but the longest stage of the tour, which started in Miri and ended in Bintulu (199.3km), ended in another bunch sprint.
The Italian pipped Tudor Pro Cycling’s Arvid de Kleijn to the line, winning in four hours 18 minutes and three seconds. De Kleijn’s lead-out man Maikel Zijlaard completed the podium.
Stage one winner Gleb Syritsa (Astana Qazaqstan) was fourth while Team Polti Kometa’s Manuel Penalver rounded out the top-five.
Malucelli, who had won the second stage (Arau-Butterworth) said he was determined to do well in the penultimate stage of the tour.
“Today I had extra motivation to do well because exactly eight years ago, my mama died,” said Malucelli.
“I have been thinking about it for this (whole) week and today I won for her.
“The team did a great job to put me in a good position. I had to sprint far out from the finish but the final was perfect for me, I arrived (at the finish line) with double speed.
“To win one stage may just be luck but to win two stages here (LTdL) is a strong result.”
Malucelli now trails sprinters classification (orange jersey) leader de Kleijn by only one point. Tomorrow’s final stage is also expected to end in a bunch sprint.
Mario Aparicio (Burgos-BH) is assured of taking home the polka dot jersey (climbers classification) on 27 points, four more than second placed Max Poole (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), as there will not be any classified climbs in the final stage tomorrow.
Poole is now on the cusp of becoming the overall champion of LTdL this year
The Englishman remains in the lead in the general classification (GC) with a 13 second advantage over second-placed Thomas Pesenti (JCL Team Ukyo) going into the final stage.
The seventh stage started in wet conditions and it took less than 10km for a breakaway group – composed of five riders initially – to be formed.
Among them included Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) duo Nur Aiman Zariff and Nur Aiman Rosli as well as Malaysia national team rider Yusri Shaari. The peloton was complete again with 13km to go.
As expected, DSM kept close tabs on their rivals in the GC today and Poole expects them to do the same in the final stage tomorrow.
“I don’t mind a bit of rain, it doesn’t really bother me. The most important thing today was to stay out of trouble, just the same as the other days really,” said Poole.
“There is still one more day to go and anything can happen. We have to take the same approach and try to bring it (green jersey) home.”
The eighth and final stage tomorrow will be a 147.5km loop of Bintulu with intermediate sprints at Kem Batu 18 and Lasar Kenayalang (twice).
– NST
