Tour of Guangxi 2024 - Stage 1: Taminiaux wins the opening stage in China
Sebastian Lindner
· 15.10.2024
The Tour of Guangxi remains the race with the best chance for smaller names in the peloton to celebrate victories on the World Tour. The 28-year-old Belgian Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto-Dstny) won the opening stage of the last competition in the most important race series ahead of his compatriot Gijs van Hoecke (Intermarche-Wanty) in a bunch sprint. Both, including the 32-year-old van Hoecke, have been in the professional peloton for years, but have not yet been able to celebrate any major successes. For Taminiaux, however, it was the fourth victory of his career and the first at the highest level. Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) finished third ahead of Ethan Vernon (Israel - Premier Tech) and the best German of the day, Max Kanter (Astana Qazaqstan Team).
With his victory, Taminiaux also takes the lead in the overall standings as well as in the points classification. No mountain points were awarded on the 149-kilometre circuit of Fangchenggang in the far south of China, which had to be ridden four times.
Tour of Guangxi 2024 - Results at a glance
Stage 1: Fangchenggang - Fangchenggang
Gree-Tour of Guangxi 2024: Stage 1, Fangchenggang - Fangchenggang
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotto Dstny | 03:17:58 |
| 2 | Intermarché - Wanty | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | UAE Team Emirates | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | Israel - Premier Tech | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | Astana Qazaqstan Team | +00:00:00 |
| 6 | Team Jayco AlUla | +00:00:00 |
Tour of Guangxi 2024 - How the 1st stage went
Together with breakaway specialist Rune Herregodts (Intermarche-Wanty) and Stan Dewulf (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), the 21-year-old German Luis-Joe Lührs (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) also tried his hand in the day's breakaway group. However, the Belgian duo shook off the Munich rider after just a few kilometres and did their own thing.
While Astana Qazaqstan for Kanter and Soudal - Quick Step for Luke Lamperti followed and worked towards the bunch sprint, the leaders were able to pull away to a maximum of just over three minutes. At the first intermediate sprint at the first finish passage after 35 kilometres, Herregodts was ahead, with Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) securing the last point from the peloton.
Herregodts and Dewulf, who rode together in Lotto - Soudal's U23 team years ago, continued to do their thing and also had a cushion over the peloton at the second intermediate sprint at the third finish, from which Robert Stannard (Bahrain-Victorious) secured the remaining point this time. With 20 kilometres to go, however, the 26-year-old Dewulf left his companion behind and set off on a solo ride. In 30-degree temperatures and constant sunshine, this was only completed just under two kilometres before the finish. The sprinters took over and decided the victory among themselves.
