PREVIEW | Tour of Guangxi 2023 stage 3 - GC to implode on 11% climb circuit

Preview. The opening two days of the Tour of Guangxi proved profitable for the sprinters but the situation will be different on stage 3. The fight for the overall classification will begin and the circuit in Nanning can be decisive for the outcome of the race.

Stage 3 features a five-lap circuit in Nanning. 134 kilometers in distance, it is the most explosive stage and only one that can actually see differences from far away. Certainly riders will save their legs for the final ascent as all roads inbetween are pan-flat.

However the ascent is 1.4 kilometers long at 11.5%, this is hard enough to make differences, create splits. The climb ends with 19.5 kilometers to go. There is space to reorganize afterwards, however it is an open day.

The Weather

A slight northeastern breeze. It won't impact the race, it could see a small headwind on the climb but the gradients and coverage will likely block it.

The Favourites

Attacks will certainly come. There are not many opportunities in this race to make the difference, and this is the steepest climb in the race and enough to get cracks. Climbers and puncheurs both have their chances. UAE have Felix Grossschartner and Tim Wellens and should be among the most likely to try and explode the race. Lightweights could perform here quite well, riders such as Jhonatan Narváez, Esteban Chaves and an in-form Sebastian Berwick could seize these gradients to shoot their shot.

However many more will be in the mix. After the climb as well of course, but when it comes to the uphill we should expect Matteo Jorgenson and Iván Sosa of Movistar, BORA with Max Schachmann and Frederik Wandahl, EF also have Hugh Carthy and Rigoberto Uran; and we've got further riders such as Cristian Rodríguez and Benjamin Thomas who could be very important cogs in the fight for the overall classification.

The stage may end in a sprint however. The climb is tough but let's not get ahead of ourselves, between the climbs there is not even a tiny hilltop, just a small descent and completely pan-flat roads. This means even if some sprinters lose time on the climb, an organized chase with some teams can definitely see the race bunch up once again - and in the final kilometers attacks don't really have chances of succeeding.

Hence the whole differences have to be made uphill and then for there to be good collaboration in front, to prevent a sprint. Specially when we've got riders such as Arnaud de Lie and Marijn van den Berg who can climb quite well and should not be far from the front in the summit. Ethan Hayter at his best should also, but it's uncertain however how he will ride. Then, depending on how much the race comes back together in the final minutes, you could also see fast men such as Jonathan Milan, Max Kanter, Tobias Lund Andresen and Amaury Capiot try to go for the win.

Prediction Tour of Guangxi 2023 stage 3:

*** Tim Wellens, Arnaud de Lie
** Marijn van den Berg, Feliz Grossschartner, Jhonatan Narváez
* Tobias Lund Andresen, Jonathan Milan, Ethan Hayter, Matteo Jorgenson, Max Schachmann, Hugh Carthy

Pick: Marijn van den Berg

Preview written by Rúben Silva.