Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan – Stage 5 | Salby Wins Sprint Finale as Silva Claims Overall Victory
- Cassie Lyu
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
Alexander Salby (Li Ning Star Cycling Team) won the sprint finish on Stage 5 of the Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan, while Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana Team) successfully defended the yellow jersey to secure overall victory in the General Classification (GC).
The fifth and final stage of the 17th Tour of Hainan was contested on the morning of 19 April 2026, with the peloton racing from Baoting to Sanya.
By finishing safely in the bunch, Guillermo Thomas Silva confirmed his triumph in the General Classification, claiming the overall title of the race. Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel–Euskadi) secured the green jersey as leader of the points classification, Igor Chzhan (Quick Pro Team) claimed the polka-dot jersey as winner of the mountains classification, and Nikolya Vinokurov (XDS Astana Team) finished as the best Asian rider in the General Classification, earning the blue jersey.
The stage started at 10:00, with 125 riders taking the start under sunny conditions and a temperature of 26°C in Baoting. The 154.6 km route began at Baoting Moon Leisure Square and featured four classified climbs: a Category 1 climb at 24.8 km, followed by Category 3 climbs at 38.7 km, 47 km and 92.5 km. The day’s only intermediate sprint was located at 102.6 km.
The stage was raced on the day of the traditional “Third Day of the Third Lunar Month” festival, the most important celebration for the Li and Miao ethnic groups in Hainan. The festive atmosphere was reflected at the start, where large crowds gathered to cheer on the riders.
Soon after the flag dropped, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto–Intermarché) launched the first attack of the day, joined by Gotzon Martín Sanz(Euskaltel–Euskadi) and Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance Winspace). The trio formed the early breakaway and led the race onto the first major climb. Veistroffer collected maximum points at the Category 1 climb, ahead of Martín Sanz and Richards. Igor Chzhan, already wearing the polka-dot jersey, crested the climb in fourth position from the peloton and, thanks to his points advantage, mathematically secured the mountains classification. Veistroffer went on to take maximum points on the second and third climbs of the day.
The opening half of the stage was ridden at a high pace. As the terrain flattened, the peloton stabilised the chase, keeping the breakaway’s advantage at around one minute. Veistroffer was again first over the final climb, before the peloton increased the tempo and Kane Richards was dropped. At the intermediate sprint, Veistroffer and Martín Sanz took the top two places, while Nikolya Vinokurov, wearing the blue jersey, claimed third from the bunch.
Veistroffer later attempted a solo move but was brought back with 48 kilometres remaining. After the peloton regrouped, a new six-rider breakaway successfully went clear, featuring Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos-Burpellet-BH), Dylan Hopkins (Roojai Insurance Winspace), Zeb Montagu Keffin and Adne Willemjan van Engelen (Terengganu Cycling Team), Andrei Stepanov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team), and Nils Ian Sinschek (Li Ning Star).
Inside the final 30 kilometres, teams aiming for a bunch sprint took control of the chase, keeping the gap close to one minute. With 6.8 km to go, GC leader Guillermo Thomas Silva was involved in a crash, but he was able to remount and continue without serious injury. The breakaway was caught inside the final kilometre, setting up a high-speed sprint finish.
Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto Intermarché) launched the sprint on the left-hand side of the road, but Alexander Salby surged past from the right and powered to the line to claim victory in the final stage. Dusan Rajovic (Solution Tech NIPPO Ralii) finished second, with Norman Vahtra (China Anta–Mentech CyclingTeam) taking third place.
After the finish, Salby reflected on the stage and his connection with Hainan.
“The early climbs were very hard, and my teammates worked all day to help me stay in the peloton. I’m really happy to win the stage,” he said. “Hainan feels special to me. I won here last year as well, so to take another victory in Sanya means a lot. One of my teammates delivered me perfectly in the final, and then I gave everything in the sprint.”
By safely defending the yellow jersey, Guillermo Thomas Silva secured overall victory in the Tour of Hainan.
“Winning the yellow jersey is the perfect result for us,” he said after the finish.“The whole team worked incredibly hard all week. With another race coming up next week, this victory gives us a huge boost.”
Polka-dot jersey winner Igor Chzhan also reflected on a successful week, having animated the race with repeated attacks throughout the first four stages.“I felt very good all week and stayed motivated. My teammates supported me a lot,” he said.“The fight for the mountains classification was intense in the first days, but we kept pushing and managed to keep the jersey. We’re a small team, but our sponsors give us great support, and I’m very grateful to them.”
With Stage 5 completed, the Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan came to a close amid the tropical scenery of the island. From the coastal roads of the north to the rainforests of the Wuzhishan mountains and the spectacular finish along Sanya’s coastline, the riders covered more than 800 kilometres of racing, delivering a week of speed, resilience and unforgettable competition.
Results & Jerseys
Stage 5 Results
Alexander Salby (Li Ning Star)
Dusan Rajovic (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali)
Norman Vahtra (China Anta - Mentech Cycling Team)
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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