Results Tour of Guangxi 2026 Stage 1 - Paul Magnier dominates in China as Olav Kooij misses top ten in bunch sprint
Cycling
The opening stage of the 2026 Tour of Guangxi served up a bunch sprint as Paul Magnier picked up where he left off lasy year in China to once again dominate. The Soudal Quick-Step rider positioned himself perfectly to capitalise on Olav Kooij's lead-out and power to victory.
Stage 1 of the Tour of Guangxi was one for the fast men. With less than 800 metres of climbing and a manageable 149 kilometres starting and finishing in Chongzhuo, both Paul Magnier and Olav Kooij were the day’s favourites.
Last year, Magnier hit big and won all bunch sprints of the race. However, Kooij is his main competition. Other riders fancying their chances include Kaden Groves, Jordi Meeus, Juan Sebastián Molano, Max Kanter,Milan Fretin, Sam Welsford and Fabio Jakobsen in a full field of pure sprinters.
The breakaway battle was fought out in the opening kilometres. After small groups of attackers were brought back, before two riders went up the road. Fredrik Dversnes Lavik from Uno-X Mobility and Patrick Gamper from Jayco AluLa got ahead of the rest.
EF Education EasyPost’s Neilson Powless managed to bridge across just in time to make it a trio that would form the day’s pace-setters. Jamie Meehan was another rider who tried to bridge but was eventually brought back by the bunch.
Paul Magnier
Race sets into rhythm
The race set into its rhythm and a high average pace. The first 100 kilometres saw an average pace of 49 kilometres per hour on largely flat and smooth roads as the break held a modest gap of just around 1:30 heading into the final 50 kilometres.
Soudal Quick-Step and Decathlon CMA CGM contributed to the chase for Magnier and Kooij while they also got assistance from Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe for former Tour de France Champs-Elysees winner Jordi Meeus.
The break's gap dropped below a minute for the first time with 23 kilometres to go as a strong trio proved a difficult prospect to reel in. In fact, Dversnes has been part of several successful breakaways throughout his career.
Stubborn breakaway proves difficult to reel in
With a more urgent effort from the chasers into a bonus sprint, the break's gap came tumbling down in the next ten kilometres as the peloton closed in - dropping below 30 seconds and coming firmly in sight of the bunch with 15 seconds to go.
The sprinter's teams made their catch with just over eight kilometres to go as the race reset and lead-outs came to the fore for the first stage honours of the race. But attacks would soon follow as teams without a sprinter tried to upset the rest.
With five kilometres to go, Jasha Sütterlin broke out and put the bunch under pressure as Visma | Lease a Bike came to chase. The Jayco AluLa rider was brought back with two kilometres to go.
Heading to the Flamme Rouge, Soudal Quick-Step and Decathlon ramped up the pace as most of the contenders were up and amongst the action in a wide highway finish straight.
Decathlon's Cees Bol led them out to the line but it was Paul Magnier who had the legs in a drag race to the line, beating Max Kanter to second and Sam Welsford in third as Kooij was bested in the finish.
In the overhead view to the line appears to show Kooij suffer a worrying moment as he came together with Magnier and halted his sprint as a result.
Results Tour of Guangxi 2026 Stage 1
| Position | Rider | Team |
| 1 | MAGNIER Paul | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 2 | KANTER Max | XDS Astana Team |
| 3 | WELSFORD Sam | Netcompany INEOS |
| 4 | KOGUT Oded | NSN Cycling Team |
| 5 | DE KLEIJN Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 6 | MILAN Matteo | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 7 | BLIKRA Erlend | Uno-X Mobility |
| 8 | LAMPERTI Luke | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 9 | TAMINIAUX Lionel | Lotto Intermarché |
| 10 | EINHORN Itamar | NSN Cycling Team |
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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