Li Auto Cup 2026 Tour of Hainan Opens in Haikou | Dušan Rajović Dominates the Sprint to Win Stage 1
- Cassie Lyu
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
On the morning of April 15, 2026, the Li Auto Cup 2026 17th Tour of Hainan officially got underway in Haikou, with Stage 1 marking the opening of this year’s race.
The Solution Tech NIPPO Rali Team made a perfect start, claiming victory in the opening stage. Delivering a powerful sprint finish, Dušan Rajović secured the stage win and simultaneously donned both the yellow jersey as the general classification leader and the green jersey as the points classification leader.
The race was officially flagged off at 10:00 a.m., with a peloton of 135 riders. Under clear skies, temperatures in Haikou climbed to 34°C. Stage 1 started from Haikou International Duty Free City and covered a total distance of 177 kilometers. The route headed southwest, featuring one Category 4 climb at the 29.5-kilometer mark, along with two intermediate sprints at 53.7 kilometers and 83.5 kilometers.
The intense heat did little to dampen the riders’ attacking spirit. Shortly after the start, several riders launched early breakaway attempts. After nearly 10 kilometers of back-and-forth with the peloton, a four-man breakaway eventually formed, consisting of Lorenzo Quartucci(No. 34, Burgos Burpellet BH), Igor Chzhan (No. 114, Quick Pro Team), Mathias Björn Brenhøj (No. 132, Terengganu Cycling Team), and Monk Cyrus Walter (No. 176, FNIX–SCOM–Hengxiang Cycling Team).
The quartet quickly built an advantage of more than three minutes over the peloton as they approached the day’s Category 4 climb. Chzhancrested the climb first to claim the maximum mountain points, followed by Monk and Quartucci in second and third respectively.
After a period of sustained effort, the pace in the peloton eased slightly. Two UCI World Teams — Lotto Intermarché and XDS Astana Team — took control at the front, keeping the gap to the breakaway at a manageable three minutes.
At the 50-kilometer mark, Quartucci claimed maximum points at the first intermediate sprint, with Chzhan and Monk collecting the remaining bonuses.
Following the first sprint, the peloton gradually increased its pace. By the approach to the second intermediate sprint, the breakaway’s advantage had been reduced to just 30 seconds. Chzhan once again proved fastest at the line, ahead of Quartucci and Monk. Shortly after the sprint, the breakaway riders were reeled in by the peloton, and Monk’s brief solo attempt soon came to an end. With 84 kilometers remaining, the race regrouped.
After a short lull, another breakaway emerged. Lucas Dauge (No. 84, Team Novo Nordisk), Timofei Ivanov (No. 162, Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team), and Cyrus Walter Monk (No. 176) successfully escaped from the peloton. The main group kept their advantage under control at around one minute.
Entering the final 30 kilometers, the balance between the breakaway and the peloton was decisively broken. The peloton lifted the pace and brought all escapees back with 25 kilometers to go.
In the final five kilometers, sprint teams moved to the front to position their lead-out trains. A minor crash occurred at the back of the peloton, but it did not affect the battle for victory at the front.
In the final sprint, Lotto Intermarché launched the first lead-out. However, Dušan Rajović (No. 71, Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) timed his effort to perfection, surging past his rivals to take a convincing stage victory. Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana Team) finished second, while Daniel Cavia (Burgos BH) completed the podium in third.
As for jerseys, Igor Chzhan of the Quick Pro Team earned the first polka-dot jersey as the King of the Mountains, while Wang Ruidong of the Li-Ning Star Team emerged as the top Asian rider on the general classification and claimed the blue jersey.
After the finish, the stage winner expressed his delight:
“The weather wasn’t too hot at the start, but the heat toward the end of the race was definitely a challenge. Fortunately, my teammates supported me all the way to the finish and helped set me up for the sprint.”
Rajović, who also claimed a stage victory at the Tour of Hainan last year, spoke of his special connection with the race, adding that he will continue to support his teammates in the coming stages while aiming for even better results.
Blue jersey wearer Wang Ruidong said:
“This is my first major race since joining the Li-Ning Star Team. My task today was originally to help my teammate Salby in the sprint, so winning the blue jersey as the best Asian rider came as a real surprise — and a very pleasant one.”
Tomorrow, the race continues with Stage 2, the ‘Peak Sport’ Danzhou (Yangpu) – Changjiang – Baisha – Qiongzhong – Wuzhishan stage. Covering 214.1 kilometers, the route includes two intermediate sprints, three Category 1 climbs, and one Category 3 climb. Riders will face the demanding ascent of Atuo Ridge on Wuzhishan, promising an even more challenging and exciting day of racing.
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