BUTTERWORTH, JCL Team UKYO rider Matteo Malucelli emerged as the champion of the second stage of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024 from Arau to Butterworth today, covering a distance of 154.5 kilometres (km). The 30-year-old Italian cyclist remained composed as he sprinted through a narrow path in the final mass finish, crossing the finish line first with a time of three hours, 34 minutes and 58 seconds (s). Malucelli edged out Polti Kometa rider Manuel Penalver and Tudor Pro Cycling's Arvid de Kleijn, who finished second and third respectively. Earlier, he narrowly avoided a crash involving several riders just 100 metres (m) before the finish line. 'I still can't believe winning this stage. It was the first time winning a race with 2.Pro status and it was a wonderful moment. "I don't know how to express the feelings of this victory. We (team) are in a good position to go through this race, especially for my three teammates from Japan. We really hope to win the competition here because it is important to improve the team's ranking," he added. The Green Jersey as the overall leader (GC) and the Orange Jersey (Sprint King) remain with Astana Qazaqstan Team rider Gleb Syritsa. Malaysian rider Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli, representing Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), continues to hold the title of Best Asian Rider (White Jersey) despite finishing 87th today. Tomorrow's third stage, from Taiping to Cameron Highlands, will cover a distance of 175.7km, featuring three sprint zones in Kuala Kangsar, Sungai Siput and Ipoh, along with three climbing zones in Kuala Kangsar, Kampung Raja and Brinchang, which is classified as Hors Category. Source: BERNAMA News Agency