The Frenchman will wear the points jersey on the last day of the World Tour race.
Nongla Scenic Spot, a 3.2km climb averaging 7.3%, hosted the most important stage of the Tour of Guangxi for the fourth time in six years, and as expected, it completely reshuffled the general classification, pretty much setting it in stone before Sunday’s last stage.
Victorious in the first four stages of the event, a performance not seen before this season at World Tour level, Paul Magnier started the day in the leader’s red jersey. The 21-year-old knew the finish wouldn’t suit him, but he still played an important role on the stage, helping his Soudal Quick-Step teammates as much as possible before the big moves came on the first-category ascent which featured ramps of 17% inside the closing kilometer.
It was there that the breakaway was caught and the gaps between the main contenders were opened, as the winner emerged just as the gradients hit double-digits. Paul Double (Jayco-AlUla) was the one who took the victory on Nongla, moving into the overall lead with one day to go, while Antoine Huby concluded as the best-placed rider of our team, just a few seconds off the top ten.
On the last stage of the Tour of Guangxi, Magnier will now sport the blue jersey, rewarding the leader of the points standings, which he is favourite to win before finally bringing his exceptional season to a conclusion.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
