By Arman Armero

MELAKA, Malaysia?With his teammates providing solid support, Mattia Gavazzi of Diquigiovanni-Androni rode like the wind in the last 30 kilometers to keep the yellow jersey, outsprinting his rivals in another bunched finish of the Melaka to Melaka Stage 3 of the 2009 Le Tour de Lengkawi here.

The lean Italian rider completed the 186-km journey in four hours, 33 minutes and 29 seconds and beat everybody in the sprint to the finish to keep both the yellow and the green jerseys heading into today?s Stage 4.

The 25-year-old Gavazzi declared that he?s ready for the next stage, a bung-lusting 221-km ride from here to Bandar Baru Bangi, in a journey that will pass by the scenic coastal towns of Tanjung Kling, Tangga Bata, Alor Gajah and Masjid Tanah.

The route also features two difficult climbs in Bukit Tonggo, 125 km into the stage, and in Genting Peres, which is some 50 km before the finish.

?Right now, I am unbeatable. That is not an exaggeration. This is because I have a good team which continues to support me. They are incredible. We are ready for any challenge in the next stages,? said Gavazzi.

Dmitriv Gruzdev of Kazakhstan also kept his grip on the Best Asian Rider blue jersey for the third straight day, even as Janse Van Rensburg of South Africa clinched the King of the Mountain (polka dot red jersey) honors for the second straight stage.

As in the past two stages, the race featured early breakaways.

Ricardo Van der Velde of Garmin Slipstream (United States), Ali Ahmed Fallanie of the Malaysian National Team, Mohd Razif Mohd Salleh of the Letua Cycling Team and Seok Kyu Suh of Korea broke away from the main pack 34.5 km into the race in the town of Muar and stuck together through Bukit Kepong after 91.3 km, keeping a distance of almost four minutes from the rest of the group.

Entering Tangkak in Johar Baru, Mohd Salleh dropped back from the quartet, but the main peloton led by Gavazzi and teammates Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez and Jackson Rodriguez had closed the gap by less than two minutes.