XDS Astana's Matteo Malucelli 2nd on Stage 1 at Tour of Taihu Lake

The winner of last year’s General Classification, supported by the entire XDS Astana Team, delivered a strong sprint in the final, but was narrowly beaten just before the finish by British rider Joshua Giddings.

“After a long break from racing and an altitude training camp, I understood that the first stage would not be the easiest one, and that I would be lacking both rhythm and speed. Nevertheless, our goal was to get through the stage without losing time, stay at the front throughout and try not to lose any seconds, because based on our experience from last year, we knew that the first stage is very important for the General Classification. The team rode an amazing stage, the guys gave 100% both throughout the stage and in the final sprint, but one rider was faster today. Nevertheless, this may not be a bad thing for us, as it will take some pressure and responsibility of wearing the leader’s jersey off our shoulders in the following stages. In any case, we will fight on every stage, so let’s see what awaits us tomorrow”, – said Matteo Malucelli.

Another XDS Astana Team rider, Gleb Syritsa, finished fifth.

Earlier, XDS Astana Team rider Christian Scaroni secured another podium finish on September 9, placing third at the Italian one-day race Giro della Toscana.