The 5th edition of Tour de Guangxi set off this Tuesday morning, on the other side of the globe, in China. On the program for this 1st stage, a circuit around the town of Fangchenggang, for a total of 149 kilometers and a finish promised to fast men. And the expected sprint took place, with the victory of Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto Dstny)! His first success in 2024… and the first in the WorldTour of his career. “Winning a WorldTour race was a goal to tick off” admitted the winner of the day, by nothing in front Gijs Van Hoecke (Intermarché-Wanty).
Video – Lionel Taminiaux won the first stage
“Everyone has a chance”
Interviewed by Wheel flash at the finish of the stage, Taminiaux returned to his victory: “There are not too many top sprinters at the start. Every sprinter is a bit at the same level. There is no one who stands out, like Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij or Jasper Philipsen. If there is a chaotic sprint, everyone has a chance. Probably no one expected Gijs Van Hoecke to finish in the top three but we had a chance and I think we both took it.”
“Some drivers win twenty races a year, but that’s far from the case for me. I am very happy if I can win a race every year. This was not the case last year. That stung a little. The objective this year was therefore to win a UCI race. Now this has finally been checked. For me it’s a small goal every year, so I’m very happy.” he added.
Gree-Tour of Guangxi – Ranking of the 1st stage
Gree-Tour of Guangxi – Provisional general classification after the 1st stage
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