XDS Astana’s Malucelli wins opening stage of Tour de Kyushu in Japan

The 152-kilometer stage ended with the Italian cyclist outsprinting New Zealand’s Luke Mudgway of Li Ning Star to take the win.

Another rider representing Kazakhstan, Alessio Delle Vedove of XDS Astana Development Team, finished third, while team trainee Nikiforos Arvanitou placed ninth.

Speaking after the race, Malucelli praised his teammates for their performance and explained that the team had specifically targeted the opening stage as its best opportunity for a bunch sprint.

“It was quite a difficult day, but the team did an excellent job. We knew this was probably our only chance for a bunch sprint, so we were especially focused on this stage. We understood how important it was to be at the front in the finale, particularly through the last corner. Everything went according to plan. I was among the first three riders going into the corner, and then Niki Arvanitou delivered a perfect lead-out. All I had to do was finish the job,” Malucelli said, according to the team's press service.

The Italian rider noted that the result marked his ninth victory of the season.

“I think it has been a successful year overall. I have done everything I could. We still have two days of racing ahead, and our team will fight for the general classification. We will see what we can achieve,” he added.

Following the opening stage, Malucelli leads both the general classification and the points classification of the Tour de Kyushu, while Delle Vedove tops the young rider classification.

Earlier, Qazinform reported XDS Astana Development Team rider Matteo Scalco had finished third at Il Lombardia Under 23, securing a podium place in the prestigious Italian one-day race.