2025 Tour of Magnificent Qinghai S5 | GARCIA TREJO Carlos Alfonso Claims Victory as Yellow Jersey Battle Intensifies

On July 10, Stage 5 of the 24th"ICBC"Tour of Magnificent Qinghai 2025 began in Qilian, featuring a challenging uphill start followed by a descent to the culturally rich finish in Gangcha.

After a gruelling stage filled with breakaway attempts, GARCIA TREJO Carlos Alfonso of Petrolike team emerged victorious in a high-speed sprint to the finish. MULUBRHAN Henok of XDS Astana Team secured second place, while SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas, the current yellow jersey holder from Caja Rural - Seguros RGA, finished third.

Jersey Winners

• Yellow Jersey (General Classification Leader): SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) sponsored by ICBC

• Green Jersey (Points Leader): SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) sponsored by Jinhui Liquor 

• Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): PELLAUD Simon (Li Ning Star)sponsored by Nissan

• Blue Jersey (Best Asian Rider): SAFARZADEH Saeid (Tianyoude Hotel Cycling Team) sponsored by PEAK

Rider Spotlight

The 21-year-old Mexican sprinter GARCIA TREJO Carlos Alfonso, who recently moved up from club level to a continental team, was ecstatic after claiming his first professional win. “Today’s race was incredibly tough, full of climbs and attacks. Winning my first career stage in Gangcha is a dream come true. The final sprint was neck-and-neck with Henok, and I didn’t realize I had won until I saw the finish line footage. I’m thrilled!” he said.

Stage Overview

Stage 5, sponsored by China Sports Lottery, covered 169 km from Qilian to Gangcha. Riders faced three categorized climbs and one intermediate sprint. The first half included the Category 1 climb at Datongshu Mountain and the highest point of the race at 3869m on Hetal Mountain (Category 2). The second half offered scenic grassland views as the difficulty eased. The race started under clear skies and 15°C at 10:57 AM, with 141 riders sign-on.

The peloton faced a tough start with multiple failed breakaway attempts. After 15 km, a group of 11 riders broke away, including: KAJAMINI Florian Samuel (XDS Astana Team), AGIRRE EGAÑA Jon and MURGUIALDAY Jokin (Euskaltel - Euskadi), KUDUS Merhawi (Burgos Burpellet BH), DIAZ ALVAREZ Alex，BARCELO ARAGON Fernando (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), ELOSEGUI MOMEÑE Iñigo (Equipo Kern Pharma), CADENA MARTINEZ Edgar David, CALLEJAS SANTOS Edison Alejandro (Petrolike), MENGS Petros (Istanbul Büyükșehir Belediye Spor Türkiye) and CAMPOS Roniel (Chengdu DYC Cycling Team).

After 30 km, the breakaway was reduced to eight riders. Kajamini won the first KOM point, followed by Agirre and Campos. Teams like Caja Rural - Seguros RGA, Equipo Kern Pharma, and Unibet Tietema Rockets controlled the peloton, keeping the gap around one minute. PELLAUD Simon and others began to drop off the back.

The peloton split after the Datongshu climb, with the yellow jersey group trailing by about a minute. At 120 km to go, the peloton reeled in the breakaway. IVANOV Timofei (Chengdu DYC Cycling Team) attacked near the intermediate sprint, sparking new breakaways.

At the sprint point, UMBA LOPEZ Abner Santiago (XDS Astana Team) took top honors, followed by Fernando Barceló and LOPEZ GRANIZO Harold Martin.

With 85 km remaining, a crash involving four riders including MAROLT Jaka (Factor Racing) occurred. Silva Coussan launched a successful attack and joined the lead group.

At 81 km to go, a new breakaway of 13 riders formed, including GC contender MULUBRHAN Henok (XDS Astana Team). AGIRRE EGAÑA Jon won the second KOM point, followed by BIZKARRA ETXEGIBEL Mikel and APARICIO MUÑOZ Mario.

With 50 km left, all breakaway riders were caught. KYFFIN Zeb (Unibet Tietema Rockets) launched a solo attack, gaining 24 seconds before being reeled in.

In the final kilometres, Petrolike led the peloton, with XDS Astana Team positioning for the sprint. GARCIA TREJO Carlos Alfonso accelerated first and held off Mulubrhan to win the stage.

Looking Ahead

Stage 6 of the “ICBC Cup” Tour of Qinghai Lake, sponsored by China UnionPay, will run from Gangcha to Gonghe on July 11. It is the longest stage of the race, featuring one climb point and three intermediate sprints. The HC climb 41 km from the finish could be decisive in the battle for the yellow jersey.