Once again, the 22-year-old – who now has 14 wins this season and is second only to Tadej Pogacar in this ranking – is in formidable form as the season draws to a close. Two days ago, he won a minor one-day race in Hong Kong ahead of Kanter; before that, he won Binche-Chimay-Binche in Belgium, meaning he has now won his last three races.
Whether there will be another ‘five-pack’ in southern China remains to be seen, however. Whilst the race has followed an almost identical route for the past two years, there are a few changes to this year’s edition. Although there is once again only one genuine mountain finish, a number of additional climbs have crept into the route profile.
However, over the course of the nearly 149 kilometres around Chongzuo, the geographical challenges remained manageable. Although the home straight was slightly uphill, it did not prevent a bunch sprint. No mountain points were awarded along the route. Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) came out on top at both bonus sprints, placing him four seconds behind Magnier – who has taken the overall lead – and level on time with Welsford in third place.
“It was a really fast stage with an average speed of around 49 km/h, so it certainly wasn’t easy, especially in this heat,” said Magnier, referring to the challenging conditions. “Ayco (Bastiaens) controlled the race superbly, and then my team-mates put in a really great lead-out. I’m delighted to crown their efforts with a victory and to be back here at the start again.”
Tour of Guangxi 2026 – Stage 1 results
Stage 1: Chongzuo - Chongzuo
Tour of Guangxi 2026: Stage 1, Chongzuo - Chongzuo
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soudal Quick-Step | 03:00:23 |
| 2 | Netcompany INEOS | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | XDS Astana Team | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | NSN Cycling Team | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | +00:00:00 |
| 6 | Groupama - FDJ United | +00:00:00 |
Here’s how the first stage of the 2026 Tour of Guangxi unfolded
After several failed attempts in the opening kilometres, three riders managed to form the day’s breakaway group. Austrian Patrick Gamper (Team Jayco AlUla) and his Norwegian breakaway companion Dversnes were joined by American Neilson Powless (EF Education – EasyPost).
The trio rode with a moderate lead over the peloton throughout the day, but were caught eight kilometres from the finish by another, slightly larger surge. Soudal and Decathlon CMA CGM, who were looking to set up the sprint for Olav Kooij, kept all further attacks under control. Kooij ultimately had to abandon his sprint, whilst Magnier showed his ‘China face’ and had the competition well and truly under control.
