A rider in his ninth year as a pro, a director whose career spans 24 years, and an unified team with the best climber in the race. It was this winning combination that, barring disaster, will grant Moldavian Ruslan Ivanov the best victory of his career Sunday as the Tour de Langkawi concludes in Kuala Lumpur.

Before the much-anticipated penultimate eighth stage to Fraser's Hill, many were tipping the 34-year-old Ivanov's teammate Jackson Rodriguez as the likely successor to Mitchell Docker's maillot jaune. But shortly before the 25km climb, the Venezuelan informed his Serramenti PVC team he wasn't feeling the best, leaving team directors Gianni Savio and Marco Bellini no option but to place their trust in Ivanov.

Even before this turn of events, however, Savio said that the team must ride as one in order to win the race, rather than let climber José Serpa go for the stage win, which last year's Genting Highlands champion was more than capable of doing.

"We explained there is a choice, and our choice was overall classification," said Savio. "So for this reason, Serpa waited to help Ivanov become the [new] overall leader."

Indeed, in the final kilometers, Serpa dropped back and helped Ivanov come back to the front group, the latter the only rider in the first 19 overall at the start of the day in Temerloh. When CSF Group-Navigare's Filippo Savini attacked 3km from the line, Serpa allowed the Italian to win the stage, but 15 seconds later when Ivanov and he crossed the line, it was Serpa who raised a clenched fist.

"We went according to the team plan, and we are one - it doesn't matter which rider wins overall,” said Savio.

Added Ivanov: "I knew the climb wouldn't be so hard - I could see that on paper. I'm not a climber for a hill over 2000 meters, but on a hill like this, I can defend myself very well and that's what I did today."

The 22-year-old Savini, not really a climber of note in Europe, managed to salvage an ordinary tour for his team, and will also go on to win the mountains classification.

"Today, the strategy was to stay in front and be cautious about an early breakaway," he said. "The climb really suited me; it wasn't too hard and I felt really good. In the final few kilometers when there were a few attacks - especially from Serpa - I managed to respond and three or four kilometers from the finish, I felt good enough to go on my own."

For a sprinter, overnight leader Mitchell Docker's top-20 stage placing was a remarkably good ride by the Victorian from Drapac-Porsche. He dropped just five places to sixth overall, 56 seconds behind Ivanov. For those ahead of him - Matthieu Sprick (Bouygues Telecom), Gustavo Cesar (Karpin Galicia), Jeremy Yates (New Zealand) and Yauhen Sobal (Tinkoff) - second to fifth overall respectively, their places are nowhere near as secure as Ivanov's: There are 38 seconds' worth of time bonuses up for grabs in the final 80.4km circuit race around downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Equally, best Asian rider Shinichi Fukushima, although disappointed with his ride Saturday, could make a last-ditch bid for the top 10 if he makes up three seconds on the current 10th-placed rider on GC, Team Type 1's Matthew Wilson.