Preview Tour of Guangxi 2024 | An unconventional season finale, with an impressive line-up!

Sunday, 13 October 2024 at 09:24

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For many cycling fans, it feels like the season is over after the grand tours, the World Championships and the Tour of Lombardy. However, that's far from the truth. The overtime of the 2024 race season still brings a WorldTour-level stage race in Asia. On Tuesday, October 15th, the six-day Tour of Guangxi kicks off in China's southernmost region, Guangxi, near the Vietnamese border. Plenty of notable names will participate, aiming to end the season on a high note. IDLProCycling.com takes you through the stages and discusses the favorites!

In 2023, the final stage race of the year was a great success for Milan Vader, who discovered himself as a stage race specialist over the course of a week in China. During the final weekend, he seized the red leader's jersey and never let it go. It was a remarkable victory, as the former mountain biker had suffered a serious accident just a year and a half earlier, making this his true comeback as a racer.

Practical information

Tuesday, Oct. 15 - Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024
Participants
Classification: WorldTour

Most recent winners Tour of Guangxi

2023: Milan Vader
2022: not ridden
2021: not ridden
2020: not ridden
2019: Enric Mas
2018: Gianni Moscon
2017: Tim Wellens

Course Tour of Guangxi 2024

The Tour of Guangxi course features many treacherous stages where the race could become unpredictable, but where fast riders are still not without chances. Naturally, the standings will be shaken up in stages four and five, which feature the most challenging finishes.

Stage 1 Tour of Guangxi 2024, Tuesday, Oct. 15: Fangchenggang - Fangchenggang (149.4 km)

Like several other stages in this race, the first day consists of a local circuit, which the men will cover four times. The start and finish are both in Fangchenggang. This nearly 150-kilometer stage includes eight short hills, roughly comparable to the height of Amerongse Berg. In short, this stage will be an opportunity for sprinters!

Climbs
None

Times
Start: 10 AM local time (10 PM EST the day before, as Guangxi is 12 hours ahead of EST)
Finish: 3 PM local time (3 AM EST)

Favorites
Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Casper van Uden (dsm-firmenich PostNL)

Stage 2 Tour of Guangxi 2024, Wednesday, Oct. 16: Chongzuo - Jingxi (181.5 km)

The second stage features two distinct sections: a long, relatively flat opening, followed by two climbs. The climb 30 kilometers from the finish will be critical. Will the sprinters be able to hang on, or will the pace be too intense for them? It’s a bit of a gamble, and it could go either way! The finish is in Jingxi, concluding a grueling uphill finale.

Climbs
118 km: 3rd category: 1.6 km at 3.8%
152 km: 3rd category: 8.9 km at 3.6%

Times
Start: 11:10 AM local time (11:30 PM EST the day before)
Finish: 3:10 PM local time (3:10 AM EST)

Favorites
Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Ivan García Cortina (Movistar)
Ethon Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech)

Stage 3 Tour of Guangxi 2024, Thursday, Oct. 17: Jingxi-Bama (214 km)

A stage with plenty of challenging aspects: first, this will be a long day, and in the second half, riders descend a lengthy section before tackling a grueling uphill portion. This stage seems designed for breakaways and is likely too difficult for pure sprinters. If the peloton stays in control, it may resemble the second stage, with similar riders likely to contest the victory.

Climbs
101 km: 3rd category, 1 km at 4.2%
161 km: 3rd category, 9.5 km at 2.8%
180 km: 3rd category, 2.9 km at 2.8%

Times
Start: 10 AM local time (10 PM EST the day before)
Finish: 3:10 PM local time (3:10 AM EST)

Favorites
Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek)
Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates)
Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)

Stage 4 Tour of Guangxi 2024, Friday, Oct. 18: Bama-Jinchengjiang (176.8 km)

Stage four promises to be spectacular, with numerous elevation changes and four significant climbs. It’s a bit like a Basque Country stage, you could say. The bump in the final part may lead to a classic finish, with all-rounders battling for victory. Today is simply too tough for sprinters, and the general classification will take shape here.

Climbs
13.4 km: 2nd category: 5.9 km at 5.5%
45.5 km: 3rd category: 9.3 km at 3.3%
91.6 km: 3rd category: 3.3 km at 5.6%
141.8 km: 2nd category: 3.8 km at 5.6%

Times
Start: 11 AM local time (11 PM EST the day before)
Finish: 3:15 PM local time (3:15 AM EST)

Favorites
Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates)
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)

Stage 5 Tour of Guangxi 2024, Saturday, Oct. 19: Yizhou-Nongla (164.3 km)

This is the crucial day for those targeting the general classification, as day five holds the only summit finish. The final climb isn’t particularly steep, but since there’s no descent afterward, this is the day to make a move. The middle section is especially tough, with stretches as steep as 10 percent. Whoever wins here has a good chance at winning the GC.

Climbs
117 km: 3rd category: 5.9 km at 5.5%
164 km: 1st category: 3.2 km at 6.3%

Times
Start: 11:10 AM local time (11:10 PM EST the day before)
Finish: 3:15 PM local time (3:15 AM EST)

Favorites
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL)

Stage 6 Tour of Guangxi, Sunday, Oct. 20: Nanning-Nanning (134.4 km)

A challenging criterium on the final day! Riders will do five laps around Nanning, tackling a tough climb that’s categorized three times, but will be ascended five times in total. With an average gradient of almost 12% and a length of about 1.5 kilometers, it’s a course made for punchers.

Climbs
5.9 km: 2nd category: 1.4 km at 11.7%
60.5 km: 2nd category: 1.4 km at 11.7%
115.1 km: 2nd category: 1.4 km at 11.7%

Times
Start: 2:15 PM local time (2:15 AM EST)
Finish: 5:20 PM local time (5:20 AM EST)

Favorites
Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates)

Favorites general classification Tour of Guangxi 2024

Given the multiple tricky finishes, it’s unlikely a pure climber will win the general classification in the Tour of Guangxi. Milan Vader already demonstrated this last year. This means we’ll mainly be keeping our eye on riders who excel on hills and possess a killer instinct. It’s entirely possible that a rider not initially among the favorites could emerge victorious in China.

Visma | Lease a Bike has two strong contenders in departing Koen Bouwman and defending champion Milan Vader. Both should be able to stay at the front and finish well in each stage. Jhonatan Narváez will want to wrap up his time with INEOS Grenadiers on a high note. Tim Wellens, who recently won the Renewi Tour and has previously triumphed in China, and Isaac Del Toro, who podiumed at the Tour Down Under, a race comparable to the Tour of Guangxi, will also be contenders.

Can Tim Wellens make a late-career peak in Guangxi?

Then there’s a group of more pure climbers. Florian Lipowitz, who made a name for himself in the Vuelta, will get his chances, as will Max Poole, who performed well there too and recently won the Tour of Langkawi. Pello Bilbao is another rider who excels on both short and long climbs, making him a solid bet for success in China. Alexey Lutsenko, riding his last race for Astana, has a strong foundation and could well finish in the top five.

Oscar Onley may form a strong partnership with teammate Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL). Eddie Dunbar is expected to lead Jayco AlUla and is in excellent late-season form. Lennert Van Eetvelt, who crashed out of the Vuelta and has only recently returned, is certainly a rider to watch on the climbs.

According to IDLProCycling.com, who are the favorites for the Tour of Guanxi 2024?

Top favorite: Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)
Outsiders: Koen Bouwman (Visma | Lease a Bike), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Isaac Del Toro and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates)
Long shots: Milan Vader (Visma | Lease a Bike), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan), Max Poole and Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)

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Hendrik Boermans

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