2025 COTTI COFFEE UCI WorldTour Tour of Guangxi – Stage 1 | Paul Magnier Sprints to Victory in Fangchenggang, Takes Red Jersey
- Cassie Lyu
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 15
The 2025 COTTI COFFEE UCI WorldTour Tour of Guangxi launched on October 14th in Fangchenggang, with French sprinter Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) powering to victory in a dramatic sprint finish. His win earned him the red leader’s jersey, along with the blue points jersey and white best young rider jersey.
Spanning six stages and 1,017.1 kilometers, this year’s race showcases Guangxi’s diverse landscapes and cultural richness, passing through cities including Chongzuo, Jingxi, Bama, and Nanning. The route blends coastal views, karst terrain, and ethnic heritage, with the Nongla climb expected to be decisive for the general classification.
Stage 1 featured a 148.8 km city circuit around Fangchenggang, with four laps and two intermediate sprints. Early breakaways by Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-AG2R), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), and Julius Johansen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) were reeled in mid-race. A larger chase group formed before Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Attila Valter (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) launched a late attack, which was neutralized in the final lap.
A crash in the last 3 kilometers disrupted the sprint setup, but Magnier surged ahead to beat Max Kanter (XDS Astana) and Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at the line. Le Berre was awarded the combativity prize for his aggressive riding.
“Winning the opening stage feels amazing,” said the 21-year-old Magnier. “The team was fantastic today. I love the Guangxi route—it’s beautiful and well-designed. Even though not many people speak English here, the crowd’s energy really lifted me.”
Stage 2 continues tomorrow with a 179.6 km route from Chongzuo to Jingxi, featuring two intermediate sprints and a Category 2 climb. The final 30 km of uphill terrain could shake up the standings.
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