The battle for the overall title promises plenty more intrigue over the coming days. While the sprinters have dominated the headlines so far, the second half of the race features considerably more demanding terrain. In particular, the summit finish on the final stage could turn the standings upside down.
Magnier opens with a record-equalling victory
Tuesday’s opening stage belonged to Paul Magnier. The Soudal-QuickStep rider won the bunch sprint at the end of a 149.4-kilometre circuit around Chongzuo, underlining once again his remarkable affinity with the Tour of Guangxi. The 22-year-old Frenchman had already won five of the six stages in last year’s edition. His latest triumph brought him level with Fernando Gaviria on six stage victories at the Chinese race.
Victory was far from a foregone conclusion, however. Decathlon CMA CGM had worked to set up the finish for Olav Kooij, putting the Dutch sprinter in a promising position. Magnier timed his effort better, though, accelerating powerfully to take the win ahead of Sam Welsford and Germany’s Max Kanter.
There was also a notable Austrian contribution to the opening stage. Patrick Gamper of Jayco AlUla joined Norway’s Fredrik Dversnes and American Neilson Powless in an early breakaway. The trio remained clear for much of the day before the sprinters’ teams finally reeled them in around eight kilometres from the finish.
Magnier’s victory also earned him the overall race lead, and it initially appeared that his remarkable run of success in Guangxi might continue.
Biesterbos springs a surprise in the sprint
Just a day later, however, Magnier suffered his first defeat of the race. On Wednesday’s 179.5-kilometre stage from Chongzuo to Jingxi, Frits Biesterbos produced a surprise victory. The 24-year-old Dutchman from Picnic PostNL beat Magnier in the bunch sprint, with Olav Kooij taking third place.
Earlier in the stage, an 8.5-kilometre climb averaging 3.4 per cent had prompted a series of attacks. Several riders attempted to break up the race, but the sprinters’ teams ensured that no decisive gap opened and brought the peloton back together ahead of the finish.
A chaotic sprint unfolded on the wide finishing straight. Having lost his final lead-out rider, Magnier launched his effort around 300 metres from the line. Biesterbos took full advantage, holding back a little longer before accelerating past the Frenchman in the closing metres.
It was the Dutchman’s first professional victory and his team’s first WorldTour win of the season. Overall, it was only Picnic PostNL’s third victory of the year.
Magnier retained the red jersey, but his advantage over Biesterbos had been reduced to just six seconds.
Fretin capitalises on Magnier’s costly sprint mishap
Thursday’s third stage produced another unexpected winner. On the longest stage of the race, a 212.3-kilometre route from Jingxi to Bama, Milan Fretin of Cofidis emerged victorious. The Belgian edged out Biesterbos and Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in the bunch sprint, securing his first victory at WorldTour level.
The route was significantly more demanding than those of the previous two days. Several climbs awaited the riders over the final 60 kilometres, yet no team managed to distance the sprinters decisively.
For much of the stage, a three-man breakaway dictated proceedings. Austria’s Tobias Bayer of Alpecin-Premier Tech was among the attackers, joining Jasha Sütterlin and China’s Ruidong Wang. The trio built a lead of almost six minutes before the last of the escapees was caught around 20 kilometres from the finish.
As the race approached its conclusion, another showdown between Magnier and Biesterbos seemed increasingly likely. Soudal-QuickStep had positioned their sprinter perfectly, and with around 150 metres remaining, the Frenchman looked well placed to challenge for victory.
Then came the decisive moment. Just as Magnier attempted to launch his sprint, his right foot slipped out of the pedal. The 22-year-old immediately lost momentum and was overtaken by a host of rivals. Max Kanter, riding directly behind him, was also held up despite having worked his way into a promising position. Magnier eventually finished 21st, with the German one place ahead in 20th.
Fretin seized his opportunity in the chaotic finale, edging to victory on the right-hand side of the road. Biesterbos collected another valuable time bonus for second place and was rewarded with the red leader’s jersey.
General classification remains tight as the mountains loom
After three of the six stages, Biesterbos leads the general classification on the same time as Magnier. Germany’s Max Kanter sits third, just four seconds behind. The narrow margins underline how open the contest for overall victory remains.
Although all three stages so far have ended in bunch sprints, there is no guarantee that the pattern will continue during the second half of the race. The increasingly demanding route should offer far greater opportunities to the stronger climbers.
Friday’s fourth stage takes the peloton over 165.7 kilometres from Bama to Tian’e, featuring several climbs and approximately 2,700 metres of elevation gain. It could be the first opportunity for significant time gaps to emerge between the general classification contenders.
Another undulating stage follows on Saturday before Sunday’s decisive finale. The sixth stage concludes with a summit finish at the Nongla Scenic Spot, where the overall title is expected to be decided.
Riders such as Tom Pidcock, Jhonatan Narváez and Juan Ayuso could therefore have a major say in the outcome. Defending champion Paul Double is also among the riders hoping to make an impact when the terrain becomes more demanding.
For Magnier and Biesterbos, who have dominated the early stages, holding on to their positions may prove considerably harder over the second half of the race. Magnier will be eager to bounce back from Thursday’s sprint disappointment, while Biesterbos faces his first serious test of defending an unexpected overall lead on tougher terrain.
At the halfway point, the Tour of Guangxi has yet to produce a clear favourite for the overall title. After three eventful sprint finishes, the race could take on an entirely different complexion in the days ahead.
