"My 15th win of the season!" - Only Tadej Pogacar has more victories than Paul Magnier in 2025 after Tour of Guangxi sprint success

In a chaotic, crash-marred finale to the opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Guangxi, Paul Magnier powered to a statement sprint victory — his 15th of the season — further cementing his place among the elite winners of the year. Only one rider has stood on the top step more times in 2025: the reigning world champion, Tadej Pogacar.

“I’m delighted with my 15th win of the season — and another victory for The Wolfpack,” Magnier said at the finish. “It’s the first time I’ve sprinted on a road this big and wide, and I was nervous in the last kilometres. I didn’t know if I’d find the space, but my team-mates did a fantastic job in the final 200 metres.”

The 149-kilometre stage around Fangchenggang was billed as a sprinter’s paradise, with a flat three-lap finishing circuit and no major obstacles on the route. But a heavy crash in the final kilometre turned the finale into a test of both speed and survival.

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe had seized control in support of Jordi Meeus, while Magnier’s Soudal - Quick-Step team executed a textbook lead-out to position their man near the front. As sprint trains unravelled in the chaos, the 21-year-old Frenchman stayed upright and seized his moment. “I still felt strong and fresh, so I was able to take it all the way to the line,” Magnier said. “Honestly, the guys delivered me perfectly. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Magnier's victory in China continues an incredible late-season run of form. Since mid-September, he’s racked up wins in France (GP de Fourmies), Slovakia (4), Croatia (4), and now Guangxi, doubling his career tally from 10 to 20 in just one month. His 15 victories this season now match Isaac Del Toro, with only Tadej Pogacar having won more in 2025.

And the best may still be to come. With several sprint stages still to come in the six-day Tour of Guangxi, Magnier has the opportunity to extend his streak and potentially challenge Pogacar’s win total.

As the peloton resets for Stage 2, all eyes will be on the Frenchman in the leader’s jersey. And with form, confidence, and momentum firmly on his side, few would bet against Paul Magnier sprinting to win number 16 before the week is out.