Tour of Magnificent Qinghai S6 | MULUBRHAN Henok Sprints to Secure the Victory, SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas Clings to Yellow Jersey
- Cassie Lyu
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
GANGCHA, Qinghai, China – July 11, 2025 – XDS Astana Team’s MULUBRHAN Henok claimed victory in a select group sprint on Stage 6 of 24th"ICBC"Tour of Magnificent Qinghai 2025, while SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) narrowly retained the general classification leader by just 4 seconds.
The longest stage with 233km, sponsored by China UnionPay, started in Gangcha and traced the iconic Qinghai Lake circuit before finishing in Gonghe County. Following intense racing along the azure lake shores, the day culminated in a reduced bunch sprint.
MULUBRHAN Henok powered to the stage win, with yellow jersey holder SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) taking second. LOPEZ GRANIZO Harold Martin (XDS Astana Team), Mulubrhan’s teammate, secured third place.
Jersey Winners Unchanged:
Yellow Jersey (General Classification Leader): SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) sponsored by ICBC
Green Jersey (Points Leader): SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) sponsored by Jinhui Liquor
Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): PELLAUD Simon (Li Ning Star)sponsored by Nissan
Blue Jersey (Best Asian Rider): SAFARZADEH Saeid (Tianyoude Hotel Cycling Team) sponsored by PEAK
The champion of Tour of Magnificent Qinghai 2023, MULUBRHAN Henok, expressed his delight: "We targeted the yellow jersey yesterday and today. While yesterday's sprint didn't go our way, winning today's stage makes me very happy. This victory is significant for the team – we came here to win, and this reduces some pressure. My teammates were perfect today. I'm looking forward to the upcoming stages."
The "China UnionPay" Gangcha to Gonghe stage, the race's longest at 233km, featured one H category climb and three intermediate sprints. Predominantly flat for the first 190km along Qinghai Lake, the decisive H category climb, Nanshan Luohe Pass, awaited in the final 40km.
Under cloudy skies and 15°C (59°F), 135 riders departed Gangcha at 9:20 AM local time.
The peloton hit the fast, flat Qinghai Lake circuit immediately. Constant attacks ensued, and after 14km, a quartet leading group formed: LANE WELSH Tali (CCACHE x BODYWRAP), TSISHKOU Raman (Li Ning Star), SOBAL Yauhen (Chengdu DYC Cycling Team), and MONK Cyrus (FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Cycling Team).
Unibet Tietema Rockets controlled the peloton initially. The break built a 5-minute lead by the first intermediate sprint at the Bird Island scenic spot (64km), where TSISHKOU Raman took maximum points ahead of MONK Cyrus and LANE WELSH Tali.
The break's advantage ballooned to over 10 minutes by 108km. TSISHKOU Raman again led the break over the second intermediate sprint, followed by MONK Cyrus and SOBAL Yauhen. Crosswinds became a factor in the final 100km, gradually eroding the break's lead to around 7 minutes. TSISHKOU Raman completed his sweep by winning the third intermediate sprint ahead of LANE WELSH Tali and SOBAL Yauhen.
Approaching the final 60km and the looming H category climb, teams including XDS Astana Team, Equipo Kern Pharma, Burgos Burpellet BH, and Unibet Tietema Rockets lifted the peloton pace, cutting the gap to 6 minutes. The break fractured on the lower slopes of the Nanshan Luohe Pass, with SOBAL Yauhen distanced first (~50km to go). Soon after, LANE WELSH Tali also dropped, leaving TSISHKOU Raman alone briefly before he was caught by the surging GC group.
GC Battle Ignites
On the steepest slopes, the GC contenders attacked relentlessly. MULUBRHAN Henok (XDS Astana Team) launched a significant move trying to dislodge the yellow jersey, SILVA COUSSAN, but the Spaniard clung on. MULUBRHAN Henok crested first to claim the H Category KOM points, followed by AGIRRE EGAÑA Jon (Euskaltel - Euskadi) and CAICEDO CEPEDA Jonathan Klever (Petrolike).
Select Group Sprint: A leading group of eight GC riders, including the yellow jersey, formed over the summit with a 2-minute advantage over the peloton. A chasing group containing the blue jersey, SAFARZADEH Saeid (Tianyoude Hotel Cycling Team), trailed by 35 seconds. On the descent to Gonghe, TOLIO Alex (Team Solution Tech - Vini Fantini) launched the sprint early but faded, allowing MULUBRHAN Henok to power past for the stage win. SILVA COUSSAN Guillermo Thomas followed closely for second place, crucially defending his yellow jersey by 4 seconds.
Look Ahead
Stage 7 (Sponsored by PEAK) will take riders from Gonghe to Haiyan on July 12th. Featuring two categorized climbs (Haxia Yakou and Luohe Yakou) and three intermediate sprints, the stage includes another lakeside section and is expected to finish in a bunch sprint.
Comments