Paul Magnier was already a top talent in 2024, and he achieved some excellent results at the beginning of this year. However, the form that the Frenchman from Soudal-Quick Step has shown in recent weeks is something we have never seen from him before. Magnier appears to be virtually unbeatable in any form of sprint finish. On Tuesday, he added another stage victory to his tally in the Tour of Guangxi.
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Magnier's remarkable list of achievements says everything about his incredible legs at the end of this season. The 21-year-old sprinter won the GP de Fourmies in France on September 14, starting an unprecedented winning streak. He won four times in Slovakia, four times in Croatia, and was also the best in the first stage of the Tour of Guangxi.
In one month, Magnier doubled his career victory total from 10 to 20 and set his counter at 15 in 2025. Only one rider has won more often this season, and that is Tadej Pogacar. The UAE Emirates-XRG world champion had teammate Isaac Del Toro behind him in second place, also with 15.
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Magnier could win a lot more in China
Interestingly, Magnier will have many more chances to win this week in China. Matching Pogacar's 20 victories will be difficult, but in the six-day Tour of Guangxi, there are at least two or three more chances for success. “I'm happy with my fifteenth victory of the season, and another victory for The Wolfpack.”
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Up hill, down hill, flat... It didn't matter to Magnier in recent weeks. On Tuesday, he was presented with a new finish. “It was the first time in my career that I had to sprint on such a big and wide road. I was quite nervous in the last kilometers because I had no idea if I would find the space, but my teammates did a great job in the last 200 meters.”
In the flash interview, Magnier praised his teammates, who basically handed him a stage victory on a silver platter. “I still felt strong and fresh, so I made it to the finish line.”
In the flash interview, Magnier jubilated for his teammates, who actually served him a stage victory on a silver platter. "I was still feeling strong and fresh, so I made it to the line."
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.