For Lennart Jasch, Italy remains his favorite place to race, but as of today Malaysia also holds a special place in his heart. We told you this morning about the incredible story of the Tudor team rider who became a professional cyclist in just two years after a past in speed skating and his desire to test himself. Today at Gunung Jerai there was no contest—Lennart was absolutely the strongest climber. He managed himself perfectly, caught up to Spanish rider Abel Balderstone, and then made the difference in the final kilometer.

"Today my team was fundamental, my teammates worked hard to allow me to approach the climb at the front. When Balderstone attacked, I tried to stay calm—he was climbing very strongly, but the finish line was still far away. At that moment it was crucial to have Mattia Gaffuri in the group; he took the lead and set an excellent pace that prevented us from losing ground. Two kilometers from the finish, the leader's advantage was 25 seconds, and at that point I thought that if I was feeling good, I absolutely had to try. If I wanted to win, that was my moment—I couldn't wait any longer, so I attacked. I felt good and as soon as I reached the front I pushed hard. Telling it now seems almost easy, but it was extremely difficult," explained Jasch, visibly emotional about his victory. With today's win, his tally as a professional rises to three victories, and after raising his arms to the sky twice in Italy, his first victory in Asia has finally arrived.

Despite being only 25 years old, Lennart Jasch is a very young rider, highly motivated but still unsure of just how far he can go. Pedaling toward Gunung Jerai, he felt a bit at home—the steep gradients of the Malaysian climb reminded him of one near where he lives, but in this case the heat and humidity made all the difference. If just days ago he was uncertain how his body would react to these atmospheric conditions, today's second stage result confirms his excellent form and his ability to hold his own against pure climbers. "Before leaving for Malaysia, I thought a lot about the heat and I was quite scared because I had never experienced anything like it, but after today's stage I think I can manage it well—I'm more confident in my abilities," Jasch continued. "I'm racing with incredible riders. When I saw the start list, I immediately understood I had to compete with pure climbers, with high-level athletes who have a lot of experience managing races. There's a very nice group here in Malaysia, and wearing the leader's jersey doesn't put pressure on me—quite the opposite, it pushes me to give my best."

After just two stages completed, the German rider leads the general classification by 20 seconds, an advantage built on the climb, but with six stages remaining it represents only a small step toward dominating a race that always reserves beautiful surprises.