Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan – Stage 3 | Miltiadis Solos to Victory as Berasategi Takes General Classification Lead

Cassie Lyu
8 hours ago
3 min read

Stage 3 of the Li Auto Cup – 17th Tour of Hainan International Road Cycling Race was contested on the morning of 17 April 2026, with the peloton racing through the mountainous terrain between Wuzhishan, Qiongzhong and Lingshui.

Following the stage, Berasategi became the new leader of the General Classification and also retained the green jersey as leader of the points classification. Igor Chzhan (Quick Pro Team) further extended his advantage in the mountains classification to continue wearing the polka-dot jersey, while Nikolya Vinokurov (XDS Astana Team) remained the best Asian rider in the General Classification, keeping hold of the blue jersey.

Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan S3-Finish

Due to high temperatures, the stage route was shortened from the originally planned 217.6 km to 193.8 km. The start was adjusted to Wuzhishan Aoyi Camp, with modifications made to the section towards Shiyun, while the final part of the course remained unchanged. Two early Category 3 climbs were removed from the route, leaving a revised profile that included a Category 1 climb at 14.8 km (Atoling Ridge) and Category 2 climbs at 100.7 km and 122.1 km. Intermediate sprints were positioned at 46.7 km and 161.9 km, and the start time was delayed from 10:00 to 10:30.

Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan S3-Start

The race got underway at 10:30, with 128 riders taking the start under cloudy skies and a temperature of 26°C in Wuzhishan. Attacks came immediately after the flag dropped, and an early breakaway of 18 riders briefly gained time before being brought back. The peloton regrouped ahead of the first climb, where Fausto Masnada and Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) crested the Category 1 ascent first and second respectively, followed by then yellow jersey holder Guillermo Thomas Silva in third place.

In his bid to strengthen his grip on the mountains classification, Igor Chzhan, already in the polka-dot jersey, crossed the summit in fourth position and then launched another attack alongside a fellow rider. Their move was neutralised on the descent as the peloton came back together.

At the first intermediate sprint, Mathias Björn Brenhøj (Terengganu Cycling Team) surged out of the bunch to claim maximum points, ahead of Nikolya Vinokurov (XDS Astana Team) and Filippo Turconi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber). Shortly afterwards, a five-rider breakaway driven by Chzhan successfully escaped the peloton and controlled the race for a long phase. During this move, Chzhan collected points at both remaining climbs of the day, significantly extending his lead in the mountains classification.

The race was animated again after the second climb when Jokin Murguialday (Euskaltel–Euskadi) bridged across from the peloton and then attacked solo from the front group, splitting the original breakaway apart. He was later joined by Clement Alleno (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) and Lucas De Rossi (China Anta–Mentech Cycling Team), while the remaining attackers were caught by the peloton.

With 50 kilometres to go, the peloton increased its pace and brought the leaders back. At the second intermediate sprint, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché) took first place, followed by Xabier Berasategi and Javier Serrano (Team Polti VisitMalta).

The final 30 kilometres saw a series of attacks that repeatedly fractured the peloton. In the closing phase, Andreas Miltiadis (Quick Pro Team) launched a late solo move and quickly opened a gap. Despite the peloton closing to within 100 metres in the final kilometres, the Cypriot rider held on to secure an impressive solo victory. Behind him, Daniel Cavia (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) won the bunch sprint for second place, while Berasategi finished third, further consolidating his position as leader of the General Classification.

Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan S3-Podium

After the finish, Miltiadis could not hide his joy.

“It was really hard. I didn’t expect to win the stage, so I’m extremely happy,” he said.“When I saw an opportunity to attack near the end, I took it and just pushed all the way to the finish.”

The race continues tomorrow with Stage 4, Lingshui–Baoting, covering 132.7 km. The stage features two intermediate sprints and one Category 2 climb. Although relatively short, the uphill finish is expected to play a decisive role in the battle for the General Classification.