Paul sprints to victory in Chongzuo, two days after his success in Hong Kong.
13-Oct-2026:
Paul Magnier began the Tour of Guangxi in style, powering to victory on Tuesday’s opening stage. The Frenchman finished ahead of Max Kanter and Sam Welsford, picking up where he left off after winning five stages at last year’s edition.
The 149.4km stage, starting and finishing in Chongzuo, saw three riders form the day’s main breakaway. Soudal Quick-Step helped control their advantage, sharing the chase with the other sprint teams and bringing the escapees back inside the final ten kilometres.
A late attack kept the peloton working until two kilometres from the finish, but our riders remained prominent as the pace increased for the sprint. Paul found his position in the fast finale and produced a powerful acceleration to take a clear victory.
“It was a really fast day, with an average speed of around 49km/h, so it certainly wasn’t easy, especially in the heat. Ayco did a great job controlling the race, and then my teammates delivered a really nice lead-out. I’m very happy to finish off their work with a win and to be back racing here,” said Paul.
