XDS Astana's Matteo Malucelli wins final stage of Le Tour de Langkawi

Matteo Malucelli cemented a dominant campaign by claiming the final stage of Le Tour de Langkawi, rounding off a demanding week of racing with his third stage victory in the Malaysian event, according to Qazinform. The victory arrived via a mass sprint after a collective team display by XDS Astana Team, which also yielded the points classification blue jersey for the Italian rider alongside his eighth win of the 2026 season.

The closing stage followed a traditional script, culminating in a fast bunch finish orchestrated by Malucelli's teammates. Harold Martín López patrolled the front of the race to control early breakaways, while Alessio Delle Vedove and Lev Gonov steered the squad through the closing sectors. Gonov launched the initial lead-out before Aaron Gate and Gleb Syritsa delivered Malucelli into position.

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"After that, Aaron (Gate) and Gleb (Syritsa) were absolutely fantastic and did everything perfectly. I knew I had to start my sprint a little earlier than I had in the previous two days, so I opened it with 200 meters to go and gave everything until the finish, which brought us the victory,"

Matteo Malucelli, XDS Astana Team rider, via Qazinform

Malucelli acknowledged the physical toll of the racing week, noting that finishing with a triumph heightened the satisfaction for the squad. Beyond Malucelli's collection of stage honors, teammate Harold Martín López finished as the team's highest-placed rider in the general classification, taking 12th overall. Malucelli now heads into a scheduled break before shifting attention to the Tour de Kyushu.

The wider transport landscape saw further successes for XDS Astana's development pipeline. As reported by Jen, XDS Astana Development Team rider Matteo Scalco claimed third place at the Il Lombardia Under 23 one-day race in Oggiono. Scalco mounted his podium-clinching attack on a flat section with 15 kilometers remaining, despite battling illness that had previously forced him to miss the European Championships.

Elsewhere in professional cycling, stage racing produced maiden triumphs and hard-fought jersey defenses. Bart Lemmen secured his first professional victory on the fourth stage of the Tour de Pologne, capturing the general classification leader's jersey after a tactical battle on the final climb to Karpacz, Team Visma reported. In France, Casper Pedersen retained the Paris-Nice climber's jersey following a breakaway excursion to collect early mountain points, while teammate Jasper Stuyven finished third in the stage sprint behind Max Kanter of XDS Astana, according to Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team.

Future racing dates and strategic shifts will shape the peloton as teams navigate the remainder of the calendar. Malucelli prepares for the Tour de Kyushu as his final assignment of the year, while WorldTour squads continue their preparations for upcoming monuments and stage races.