Matteo Malucelli continues to rack up victories in the Far East. The sprinter from Forlì with XDS Astana claimed the opening stage of the Tour de Kyushu, the Japanese stage race that kicked off today with the 152-kilometer leg from Karatsu to Fukuoka.

Fresh off recent triumphs at the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, where he had secured three stage wins, Malucelli confirmed his excellent form by prevailing in the sprint and thus taking the first leader's jersey of the race.

In the final sprint, the Italian rider finished ahead of New Zealander Luke Mudgway, while completing a particularly positive day for Italian cycling were Alessio Delle Vedove and Davide Stella, who finished third and fourth respectively at the line.

For Malucelli, this marks his ninth victory of the season, a result that confirms the extraordinary consistency he has shown in the final stretch of the season and allows him to begin his Tour de Kyushu campaign in the best possible way, where in the coming days he will be tasked with defending his overall classification lead.