KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10, 2009 (AFP) – Italian Mattia Gavazzi of team Diquigiovanni-Androni won the second stage of the Tour de Langkawi cycling race Tuesday which ended in the historic Malaysian port city of Malacca.

South African Nolan Hoffmann, representing his country’s national team, took second place.

Gavazzi won the 160.9-kilometre (100-mile) stage in six hours, 48 minutes and 35 seconds and is also the overall race leader.

The seven-stage race began in Putrajaya, south of capital Kuala Lumpur, on Monday. It headed south to Malacca Tuesday, with the next stage taking place around the city before heading north to the Genting Highlands and ending on February 15 in Kuala Lumpur.

“To be honest I never thought that I’d get to win three times in a row in the early season of 2009,” Gavazzi said.

“I kind of like the hot weather and manage to adapt with it,” he added.

After the Malacca leg on Wednesday comes the longest stage, from the port city to the town of Bangi in central Selangor state, which covers 221.0 kilometres.

By the end of the race, the 20 teams taking part will have covered 1,031.7 kilometres and seven states.