Japanese cyclist Taiji Nishitani Thursday won the fourth stage of the Tour de Langkawi while German Tobias Erler retained the overall lead.

Nishitani won the 163.5-kilometre (about 102-mile) stage from the seaside resort of Mersing in southern Johor state to Parit Sulong, also in Johor, in three hours, 50 minutes and 11 seconds.

Australian Michael Matthews of Team Jayco-Skins took second place.

The seven-stage race began in Kota Bharu, capital of the northern state of Kelantan, on Monday and will proceed from Muar in Johor to the beach resort of Port Dickson, south of Kuala Lumpur, for Friday’s race.

By the end of the event on March 7, the 20 teams taking part will have covered 1,013.7 kilometres and six states.

Top 10 places in Stage 4:
1. Taiji Nishitani (JPN/Aisan Racing Team) 3hr 50min 11sec,
2. Michael Matthews (AUS/Team Jayco-Skins) s.t.,
3. Vidal Celis (ESP/Footon-Servetto) s.t.,
4. Kazuhiro Mori (JPN/Aisan Racing Team) s.t.,
5. Rene Haselbacher (AUT/Vorarlberg-Corratec) s.t.,
6. Anuar Manan (MAS/Geumsan Ginseng Asia) s.t.,
7. Hossein Nateghi (IRI/Azad University Iran) s.t.,
8. Dennis Pohl (GER/Giant Asia Racing Team) s.t.,
9. Rene Weissinger (GER/Vorarlberg-Corratec) s.t.,
10. Dmytro Grabovskyy (UKR/ISD-Neri) s.t.

Top 10 places overall:
1. Tobias Erler (GER/Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling) 15hr 36min 13sec,
2. David Pell (AUS/Drapac Porsche Cycling) 15hr 36min 18sec,
3. Jay Thomson (RSA/South Africa National Team) 15hr 36min 20sec,
4. Michael Matthews (AUS/Team Jayco-Skins) 15hr 38min 52sec,
5. Anuar Manan (MAS/Geumsan Ginseng Asia) 15hr 39min 15sec,
6. Vidal Celis (ESP/Footon-Servetto) 15hr 39min 18sec,
7. Taiji Nishitani (JPN/Aisan Racing Team) s.t.,
8. Ruslan Tleubayev (KAZ/Kazakhstan National Team) 15hr 39min 22sec,
9. Alex Candelario (USA/Kelly Benefit Strategies) s.t.,
10. Dmytro Grabovskyy (UKR/ISD-Neri) 15hr 39min 24sec