Preview Tour of Guangxi 2025 | Visma | Lease a Bike trio faces interesting competition in China
CyclingSunday, 12 October 2025 at 15:19
The biggest names in cycling are enjoying their vacations or at least planning them, but the cycling season is far from over for many riders. In addition to the debut of the Tour of Holland, an entire peloton is also traveling to Asia for five days of racing in China. IDLProCycling.com takes a look at the still-not-very-popular Tour of Guangxi.
The Chinese stage race has become a traditional finale to the WorldTour, despite taking place at the end of the year when many riders are likely exhausted. The organizer started the race in 2017 with grand ambitions. From the outset, it was given WorldTour status, so every year the biggest cycling teams still travel to China.
This resulted in impressive winners in the first three editions, with Tim Wellens, Gianni Moscon, and Enric Mas taking the top spots. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, the Tour of Guangxi was not organized due to the coronavirus, but in 2023 it returned to the calendar. Milan Vader was the surprise overall winner that year, and last year the title went to Lennert Van Eetvelt.
Latest winners Tour of Guangxi
2024: Lennert Van Eetvelt
2023: Milan Vader
2022: canceled
2021: canceled
2020: canceled
2019: Enric Mas
2018: Gianni Moscon
2017: Tim Wellens
2023: Milan Vader
2021: canceled
2020: canceled
2019: Enric Mas
2018: Gianni Moscon
2017: Tim Wellens
Course, favorites stage wins and times Tour of Guangxi 2025
Stage 1, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025: Fangchenggang - Fangchenggang (149.4 km)
On paper, it still looks pretty intense, but the climbs on the circuit around Fangchenggang, which we do four times, are only 800 and 1,000 meters long and rise at an average gradient of 6.1 and 5.5 percent, respectively. The good climbing sprinters should be able to handle this, right?
Favorites
Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step)
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step)
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
Times (CEST)
Start: 05:15 AM local time
Finish: around 08:30 AM local time
Start: 05:15 AM local time
Finish: around 08:30 AM local time
Stage 2, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025: Chongzuo - Jingxi (179.6 km)
On the second day, there is an interesting finale for riders who want to thin out the peloton and think they can win on the hill from a sprint. 7.7 kilometers of climbing at an average gradient of 4 percent, which certainly not everyone will be able to manage.
Favorites
Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step)
Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost)
Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quick Step)
Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost)
Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL)
Times (CEST)
Not yet known
Not yet known
Stage 3, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025: Jingxi - Bama (214.0 km)
The third day appears to be a challenging stage to control. The finale in particular will be constantly up and down, with the top of the last climb 12 kilometers from the finish.
Favorites
Ivo Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost)
Artem Shmidt (INEOS Grenadiers)
Ivo Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost)
Artem Shmidt (INEOS Grenadiers)
Times (CEST)
Not yet known
Not yet known
Stage 4, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025: Bama - Jinchengjiang (176.8 km)
From the fourth day onwards, we expect something from the riders chasing the GC. They will have to be sharp as we tackle four categorized climbs, especially the penultimate climb of almost 4 kilometers at a steep 6 percent gradient.
Times (CEST)
Not yet known
Not yet known
Stage 5, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025: Yizhou - Nongla (165.8 km)
Queen stage? Well, the final climb will undoubtedly cause some significant differences this week. First, we climb 3 kilometers at an average gradient of 7%, topped off with a steep final 1.5 kilometers at an average gradient of almost 15%. Good luck!
Favorites
Jan Christen (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Jan Christen (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Times (CEST)
Not yet known
Not yet known
Stage 6, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025: Nanning - Nanning (134.3 km)
On the final day, anything can happen, as a local circuit still features a 1.3-kilometer wall with an average gradient of 11.5 percent. Will the GC contenders go for it, or will we see a harmless breakaway with strong punchers?
Favorites
Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek)
Roger Adría (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana)
Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek)
Roger Adría (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana)
Times
Not yet known
Not yet known
Favorites final classification Tour of Guangxi 2025
At the end of the year, it's often no longer about good preparation or form, but simply about who has the most left in the tank after a tough racing year. And who are they? Actually, with a long trip to Asia and tests such as the World Championships and European Championships already behind us, it's difficult to say. But let's give it a try based on the start list.
Of course, we first look at UAE Emirates-XRG, which continues to win this year and undoubtedly wants to showcase its achievements in China as well. Jan Christen seems to be the GC contender, who, after a hectic fall, hopes that he still has the legs for this golden opportunity. If so, he will be a very dangerous climber for the final weekend.
Continue reading below the photo
Jan Christen
The challengers? There could be many. Pello Bilbao was in the breakaway in Lombardy on behalf of Bahrain Victorious and showed good legs. At the same time, the Cofidis duo Emanuel Buchmann and Jesús Herrada have not raced since the Vuelta a España and will want to score points for their team in the battle to retain their WorldTour status. In that regard, we will also see XDS Astana with Sergio Higuita at the front again.
Lidl-Trek is playing two cards with Mattias Skjelmose and Tao Geoghegan Hart, who may still be fresher after all kinds of physical discomfort in 2025. At INEOS Grenadiers, we mention Oscar Rodriguez, but the Spaniard has had almost nothing but DNFs to his name this fall. The same goes for big names such as Pelayo Sanchez (Movistar) and Frank van den Broek (Picnic PostNL).
Paul Double then? The winner of the Tour of Slovakia forms a duo with MTB world champion Alan Hatherly at Jayco AlUla. Visma | Lease a Bike lost to Double in Slovakia, with Cian Uijtdebroeks and Thomas Gloag as pawns. The two departing climbers now have another chance, with the young Jørgen Nordhagen as an important outsider.
Continue reading below the photo
Paul Double
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Who are the favorites for the final classification of the Tour of Guangxi 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com?
Top favorites: Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) and Jan Christen (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Outsiders: Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) and Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana)
Long shots: Jørgen Nordhagen, Thomas Gloag (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), Emanuel Buchmann, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), Oscar Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Alan Hatherly (Jayco AlUla),
Outsiders: Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) and Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana)
Long shots: Jørgen Nordhagen, Thomas Gloag (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), Emanuel Buchmann, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), Oscar Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Alan Hatherly (Jayco AlUla),
TV broadcast Tour of Guangxi 2025
If you want to see something of the Chinese stage race, you'll have to get up very early. Eurosport will be there every morning from around 01:00 AM EDT, with the finish times still unclear at the time of writing. But most stages will end around 02:00 AM EDT.
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Latest Comments
- Cracked the code lol. If it was that easy to 'crack the code' jonny Vegas would be charging up the Kwaremont giving Pog a dose of his medicine. Evenepoel can't match pog on a climb and neither can mvdp. Anything with a half difficult climb and Pog smashes the field. Even on flat(ish)parcours like Roubaix it came down to a mistake and crash by pog to definitively crown mvdp. MSR is the only one that Pog probably won't win.kevpt10-10-2025
- We've seen this movie before. I think Pogacar is doping.DeadBlow10-10-2025
- 👍Bea08-10-2025
- 👌🏻Bea08-10-2025
- What the data doesn't show is how much of an effect drafting had for evenepoel. Pogacar went with del toro at 100km whilst Evenepoel was still in the bunch. Despite the bike changes he still had a lot of assistance getting back to the bunch. Pogacar then rode 60km solo whilst evenepoel rode with Healy/Skjelmose until going solo in thd last 10-15km. Thats ~20% less power / energy requirements for 45-50km. Apples and oranges...kevpt30-09-2025
- 👏👏Bea24-09-2025
- Agreed! As we all know now, Juan Ayuso will be on another team. But it was sweet to see him win the stages at La Vuelta. I do love the drama of cycling admittedly but its clear to see the talent of winners of stages in a Grand Tourryhw2814fq921-09-2025
- Pogacar has no competition he has won everything, I cant imagine even being him in that position!! Crazy. I am sure he has some back up plan for how he wants to spend his retirement years at age 30 onward. Does he like beer? Plenty of innovation in brewing. And you don't have to be super social. Chapeau/Cheers whatever you like Tadej you will do.ryhw2814fq921-09-2025
- Plus its confirmed that the Philadelphia Cycling Classic up the Manayunk Wall is back for 2026! hooray for thatryhw2814fq918-09-2025
- This is a dumb question but still why doesn't the UCI consider a grand tour in the USA in the future. We have the desolate/scary back roads in Pennsylvania and Virginia, just like in France with loads of rural land and hills. Plus the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and the Cascade/Olympic Mountains in Washington State. I'm sure it'll never happen but honestly people in PA/NJ/NY/VT/NH would love it. We are already sports fans, what is another sport to learn. I am forever optimistic about cycling in the US.ryhw2814fq918-09-2025
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