Matteo Malucelli wins the Tour of Taihu Lake for the second consecutive year

XDS Astana Team rider Matteo Malucelli won the overall classification of the Tour of Taihu Lake, a Chinese stage race, successfully defending the title he won in last year’s edition.

Malucelli was one of the standout performers of the race, securing three stage wins and a second-place finish. These results allowed him not only to win the general classification but also to claim the points classification.

The final stage ended in a sprint, and initially, another XDS Astana Team rider, Gleb Syritsa, was declared the winner after crossing the finish line first. Subsequently, however, the race officials decided to demote him for deviating from his line during the sprint. Syritsa nonetheless finished the Tour of Taihu Lake in third place in the general classification.

Malucelli expressed great satisfaction with the result, emphasizing that the team’s main goal was precisely to contend for the overall victory. According to the Italian rider, the success was made possible by the coordinated effort of the entire team, with every teammate giving their all throughout the entire race.

“The main goal has been achieved. We came here with a specific objective—to fight for victory in the general classification—and thanks to the work of the entire team, I was able to win the race for the second consecutive year,” explained Malucelli.

The Italian also commented on the decision that cost Syritsa the victory in the final stage, expressing his regret over his teammate’s demotion and highlighting his performance throughout the week.

The outcome for the XDS Astana Team remains extremely positive, however: Malucelli leaves the Tour of Taihu Lake wearing the general classification leader’s jersey and the points classification jersey, while Syritsa rounds out the team’s result with third place overall.