Results Tour of Guangxi stage 1 | Paul Magnier Sprints to Victory as Crash Disrupts Finale

The 2025 Tour of Guangxi got underway with a 149-kilometre opener in Fangchenggang, where Paul Magnier claimed the stage win in a chaotic sprint finish disrupted by a heavy crash.

The stage featured a flat, fast circuit with three passes over the finish line, offering few opportunities for attackers. An early breakaway formed featuring Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), and Julius Johansen (UAE Team Emirates). The trio built a modest lead of just over a minute and picked up the intermediate bonuses on the first crossing, but their effort was neutralised with around 110 kilometres remaining as the peloton raised the tempo.

Later, Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa–B&B Hotels) and Attila Valter (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) made a move after the second pass over the line, stretching their lead to around 90 seconds. However, coordinated work from Soudal Quick-Step, Red Bull BORA, and Picnic steadily closed the gap, and the pair were caught with 22 kilometres to go.

From that point, the peloton maintained a relentless pace. Red Bull BORA took charge at the front in support of Jordi Meeus, with Roger Adrià playing a key role in the lead-out. Soudal Quick-Step also looked well-drilled for Magnier, while other teams focused on keeping their sprinters in contention.

In the final 15 kilometres, no further breakaways were allowed as the race built towards a high-speed finish. Lorenzo Milesi worked to bring Fernando Gaviria into position near the front for Movistar Team, with key contenders — including Meeus, Magnier, Arvid de Kleijn, Itamar Einhorn, Max Kanter, and Paul Penhoët — all jostling for position.

The final five kilometres were tense, and the sprint unfolded on a long, wide finishing straight. A large crash disrupted the lead-out trains just as the sprint launched, taking down several riders. Amid the mayhem, Paul Magnier kept his line and stayed upright, powering to the stage win and claiming the first leader's jersey of the race.