Manuel Peñalver comes close to victory on the second stage in Langkawi

Only the photo finish prevented Manuel Peñalver from winning the second stage of the Tour de Langkawi. Courageous, the Alicante rider launched a long sprint and raised his arms as the winner, although the jury determined the victory of Malucelli.

With the bittersweet taste of having felt and celebrated the victory, but finally being second. Manuel Peñalver demonstrated his speed and ability in mass finishes, in a very favourable finish where he led the sprint.

The day, completely flat, had a breakaway protagonist who on this occasion stood out until the last 5 kilometres. The work of the teams with fast men behind allowed the neutralisation, although the lack of order caused a crazy final sprint. The Team Polti Kometa riders supported and guided Manuel Peñalver to the leading positions, who waited for the last 350 metres to launch his volata from a distance and surprise the rest of the sprinters. He raised his arms victoriously as he crossed the finish line, but the photo finish determined Malucelli’s victory. In the general classification, Peñalver remains in fifth position.

Manuel Peñalver: ‘I had a very good feeling for today’s stage, completely flat and where I could really get the victory. But Malucelli won, the truth is that I thought I had won when I crossed the finish line, although sometimes you can be wrong and in this case the photo finish gave me second place. Congratulations to him. You see it so far away and every time so close that it makes you angry, but the team has done a phenomenal job and we have five more chances left and we are going to fight for it’.

The third stage of the Tour de Langkawi will be the queen day of the race, with 170 kilometres between Taiping and Cameron Highlands that includes two first category and special category climbs to decide the race and condition the general classification.