Molano declassified after crossing line first in Tour de Langkawi stage 2 sprint

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Colombian relegated after making contact with Ukyo rider during run into finish at Raub, Wiggins declared winner

Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 2 of Tour de Langkawi but was later disqualified
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 2 of Tour de Langkawi but was later disqualified (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Hours after being declared the winner of stage 2 of the Petronas Tour de Langkawi, sprinter Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates) has been relegated, making Australia’s Craig Wiggins (ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) the Raub stage winner.

The 178.9km stage, the longest of the race, came down to a tight sprint battle with riders fighting for wheels, and particularly that of Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Jakub Mareczko as the wide road funelled them toward the Raub finish line. 

While organisers did not specify the reason beyond saying it was an "irregular sprint", in footage of the race, Molano and Raymond Kreder (Team Ukyo) can be seen making contact in the lead-up to the finish. Molano took his hand off the bars and appeared to push through against Kreder.

Molano was relegated in a similar incident earlier this year and expelled from the Critérium du Dauphiné after being caught on camera hitting a fellow rider, Frenchman Hugo Page.

The decision to relegate the winner of the final stage of the Vuelta a España has made it a difficult two stages for UAE Team Emirates. One of its two GC hopefuls, Rui Costa, was unable to finish stage 1 as he was unwell. Now, on stage 2, what they thought was a victory has disappeared. They will be hoping the race turns around on the pivotal stage 3, where the team will be backing George Bennett as the race climbs up to the Genting Highlands. 

The declassification of Molano, which made Wiggins the victor, gave the 23-year-old his first victory at an international race and helped Australia retain its perfect record in Raub.

The Tour de Langkawi has had three stage finishes in the town, with Brett Lancaster winning there in 2004, Graeme Brown in 2005 and now Wiggins in 2022. 

Simone Giuliani
Simone Giuliani
Australia Editor

Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.