XDS Astana Team rider wins Tour de Langkawi again
XDS Astana Team rider Matteo Malucelli claimed his third stage win at the 2025 Tour de Langkawi. Today, Malucelli sprinted to victory on Stage 4 after a textbook lead-out from his teammates. In the final meters, he left no chance to his rivals, crossing the line with a commanding margin, Kazinform News Agency cites the team's press service.
“Everything went perfectly for us today, even though we tried a slightly different tactic for the finish. We expected a big fight for the breakaway, but due to the headwind, things didn’t unfold as aggressively – only three riders got away, which allowed us to control the race quite comfortably with Alex (Vinokurov) and Anton (Kuzmin). Later, a few more teams joined forces with us to help reel in the break. In the finale, Nicolas (Vinokurov), Lev (Gonov), and Aaron (Gate) gave me a perfect lead-out. We handled the last corners smoothly, and I decided not to wait other teams' lead-out, launching my sprint off Aaron’s wheel with 200 meters to go. Even with the headwind, I managed to hold the front all the way to the line. That’s three stage wins out of four – I think that speaks for itself. Now we’re heading into the decisive stage tomorrow, and my teammates will be giving it everything on the final climb,” said Matteo Malucelli.
This is Malucelli's fourth consecutive podium finish, with victories in the first and third stages, second place in the second, and another triumph today. He currently leads the General Classification of the Tour de Langkawi, holding a 22-second advantage over his closest rival. Aaron Gate sits in third overall, 26 seconds behind. The rider also leads the points classification.