The Frenchman made it 20 pro wins on the opening stage of the Tour of Guangxi.
Paul Magnier started the Tour of Guangxi with a bang, taking the opening stage in Fangchenggang after another towering sprint. Paul has now won at least a stage in his last three races: Okolo Slovenska, Cro Race, and the Tour of Guangxi, the season’s final World Tour event. In doing so, he became the first overall leader of the Chinese race, which is running its sixth edition, one that is sure to give several chances to the fast men.
Consisting of several laps, the 148.8km stage one was a pretty straightforward one, animated by two different breakaways chased by the sprinters’ teams, including Soudal Quick-Step. A stage victor here last year, Warre Vangheluwe did an excellent job at the front of the bunch, helping it catch the first of these moves and later reel in also the other two escapees, inside the closing 20 kilometers.
Going under the flamme rouge of this stage, a crash split the peloton, leaving only a handful of riders in contention, including Magnier. The phenomenal Frenchman had Dries Van Gestel with him, who once again delivered a sensational lead-out, leaving Paul in an excellent position with 150 meters to go, and the 21-year-old from Grenoble didn’t miss the opportunity to surge past the others and take his 20th victory in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey.
“It was for the first time in my career that I sprinted on straight and big roads like this, and I must say that I was a bit nervous in the final kilometers, because I had no idea if I would find some space, but my teammates did an excellent job and in the last 200 meters I was still feeling strong and fresh, so I made it to the line. I’m happy to celebrate my 15th success of the season and take another win for the Wolfpack”, said Paul – who also leads the points and youth classifications – after bringing Soudal Quick-Step’s tenth victory at the Tour of Guangxi.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
