Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan – Stage 4 | Silva Dominates Qixianling, Wins Again and Reclaims GC Lead
- Cassie Lyu
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team) claimed his second stage victory of the race on Stage 4 of the Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan, powering to the win atop Qixianling and reclaiming the lead of the General Classification (GC).
Stage 4 of the 17th Tour of Hainan was held on the morning of 18 April 2026, with the peloton racing between Lingshui and Baoting.
With his victory, Silva moved back into the yellow jersey as leader of the General Classification. Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel–Euskadi) retained the green jersey as leader of the points classification, Igor Chzhan (Quick Pro Team) continued to lead the mountains classification and wear 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.
The race started at 10:00, with 125 riders taking the start under sunny conditions and a temperature of 27°C in Lingshui. The 132.7 km stage began at Lingshui Hainan Ocean Paradise and featured two intermediate sprints at 75.1 km and 111.6 km, with the day’s only climb — a Category 2 ascent — located at the finish on Qixianling.
The opening half of the stage developed into a prolonged tactical battle, as the peloton and attacking riders engaged in constant exchanges. An early breakaway of 13 riders was quickly brought back, but attacks continued. By the 54 km mark, a large group of 19 riders managed to open a gap once again.
Despite its size, the breakaway was never allowed full freedom. Teams contesting the General Classification were determined to keep the situation under control ahead of the decisive final climb. XDS Astana Team took responsibility at the front of the peloton, limiting the gap to less than 20 seconds.
At the first intermediate sprint, Andreas Miltiadis (Quick Pro Team) took maximum points from the breakaway, ahead of Samuele Zoccarato (MBH Bank Team) and Joshua Burnett (Burgos BH). Shortly after the sprint, the large break was caught, before a new and more selective move finally went clear.
A group of five riders then established itself at the head of the race, including Filippo Magli (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Niu Gaosheng(Bodywrap LTwoo Cycling Team), Alexander Konichev and his teammate Lucas De Rossi (China Anta–Mentech CyclingTeam), as well as Gao Yongbing (FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Cycling Team). The group gradually built an advantage of around one minute.
Inside the final 30 kilometres, the peloton increased the tempo and steadily reduced the gap. By the time the race reached the second intermediate sprint, the leaders’ advantage had been cut to 40 seconds. Alexander Konichev claimed first place at the sprint, followed by Filippo Magli and Gao Yongbing.
The breakaway was caught with 7 kilometres remaining, setting the stage for a decisive uphill battle among the GC contenders. As the pace intensified on the climb to Qixianling, several riders were dropped. Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank Team) launched the first acceleration, while the yellow jersey of Xabier Berasategi began to show signs of strain.
The decisive move came from Guillermo Thomas Silva, who started the stage second on the General Classification. Launching a powerful attack with 500 metres to go, Silva rode clear and claimed a commanding victory at the summit, reclaiming the yellow jersey. Thomas Pesenti (Team Polti–VisitMalta) finished second on the stage, with Alessandro Fancellu completing the podium in third place.
After the finish, Silva praised his teammates for their work throughout the stage.
“The team was perfect today. Thanks to their support, I was able to win the stage,” he said.
Looking ahead to the final stage, the GC leader added:
“Tomorrow we will do everything we can to defend the yellow jersey. If it comes down to a sprint, we will fully support Marcelli to fight for the stage win.”
The race concludes tomorrow with the final stage, “Samassi 3D-Printed” Baoting–Sanya–Ledong–Sanya, covering 154.6 km. The route includes one intermediate sprint, one Category 1 climb and three Category 3 climbs. The defence of the yellow jersey by XDS Astana Team will be the main focus, though another late breakaway victory cannot be ruled out.
Results & Jerseys
Stage 4 Results
Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team)
Thomas Pesenti (Team Polti–VisitMalta)
Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort)
Yellow Jersey: Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team)
Green Jersey: Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel–Euskadi)
Polka-dot Jersey: Igor Chzhan (Quick Pro Team)
Blue Jersey: Nikolya Vinokurov (XDS Astana Team)
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