2025 COTTI COFFEE UCI WorldTour Tour of Guangxi Stage 3 | Paul Magnier Achieves Hat-Trick, "Land of Longevity" Witnesses Third Consecutive Victory

On October 16, the third stage of the 2025 COTTI COFFEE UCI WorldTour Tour of Guangxi (hereinafter referred to as the 2025 Tour of Guangxi) commenced from Jingxi to Bama. After more than four hours of intense competition, the main peloton once again staged a mass sprint in Bama, with the indomitable Paul Magnier(Soudal Quick-Step) securing another stage victory, achieving a hat-trick. With this stage win, the French rider equaled the record of three consecutive victories set by Fernando Gaviria in the inaugural Tour of Guangxi.

The third stage, from Jingxi to Bama, saw riders start from the picturesque ancient town of Jingxi in Baise City and head towards the Longevity Culture Square in Bama Yao Autonomous County. The race distance was 213.5 kilometers, featuring two intermediate sprints at 38.4 km and 136.6 km, one Category 2 climb at 161.2 km, and two Category 3 climbs at 178.9 km and 200.9 km. This stage is the longest of the 2025 Tour of Guangxi, with a total elevation gain exceeding 2000 meters.

The starting point of this stage was Jingxi in Baise City, which is located at the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi provinces, bordering Vietnam with a border length of 359.5 kilometers. Baise is known for its revolutionary history, rich mineral resources, and as a major ecological aluminum industry base. Jingxi, a key trade hub, is famous for its scenic spots and historical significance.

The finish line was set in Bama Yao Autonomous County, Hechi City, known as the "Land of Longevity." Hechi is home to various ethnic groups and boasts a high forest coverage rate of 71.6%, making it a renowned ecological and health tourism destination.

The race started at 10 AM with 133 riders. Early in the race, Peter Øxenberg

(INEOS Grenadiers) made the first breakaway, followed by several attempts from other riders, all of which were reeled back in. After 60 kilometers, a six-rider breakaway group formed, including National Team China rider Li Zhen. The breakaway group scored points at intermediate sprints and climbs but was eventually caught by the peloton.

The long stage and variable weather posed continuous challenges. Pre-race favorite Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) abandon the race at 90 kilometers from the finish. However, his teammate Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek) won the Most Active Rider award for the stage, stating, "The Tour of Guangxi is my last race before retirement, so I'm enjoying it without any pressure."

In the final 30 kilometers, all riders regrouped, and the sprint teams began positioning. The last 5 kilometers saw intense competition among the sprint teams. Pavel Bitter from Team Picnic PostNL initiated the sprint but ran out of steam.

Ultimately, Paul Magnier surged ahead to claim his third consecutive victory. Jordi Meeus  (Red Bull–BORA–Hansgrohe)and Max Kanter (XDS-Astana Team) finished second and third, respectively.

Magnier's perfect performance secured him the stage win and continued his lead in the Cotti Coffee red leader's jersey, the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank blue sprinter's jersey, and the Li-Ning white young rider's jersey. Simon Guglielmi (Arkea-B&B Hotels) took the Ganten polka dot jersey for the best climber.

Magnier expressed his joy after achieving three consecutive wins, saying, "Winning the final GC leader is hard, but I'm already enjoying wearing the red leader's jersey for three days in a row." He also shared a fun experience: "In Guangxi, we ride shared electric bikes every day because we all have Alipay installed. It's much easier than bike racing."

Tomorrow's fourth stage from Bama to Jinchengjiang covers 176.3 kilometers, including two Category 2 climbs and two Category 3 climbs, with a total elevation gain of 2676 meters, the highest of this year's race. The competition for the polka dot jersey is heating up, and the overall contenders will be preparing for the "Queen Stage" in Nongla.