This Time No Easy Win: Paul Magnier Closes Tour of Guangxi with Nineteenth Season Victory

Five-man breakaway
Five riders decided not to wait for the climb to Qingxiushan and took off early in the stage. Léandre Lozouet and Ewen Costiou represented Arkéa-B&B Hotels up front—two riders from the team that next year will no longer be part of the peloton—undoubtedly seeking some extra publicity. They were joined by Reuben Thompson (Lotto), the retiring Nans Peters (Decathlon AG2R), and Clément Davy (Groupama-FDJ).

The peloton allowed them some leeway but kept the five escapees within sight. The maximum advantage was only a minute and a half, so a regroup seemed imminent, but the leaders surprisingly held on for quite a while. Entering the last twenty kilometers, Costiou and company were still a good thirty seconds ahead of the peloton, where the riders were mainly cautious and waiting for developments.

Lafay goes for overall victory
However, the final passage over the climb to Qingxiushan definitely provided some excitement. In the break, Costiou tried to shake things up, and the promising Frenchman rode away from his companions with style. Yet, in the peloton, another Frenchman decided to make a move. It was no ordinary rider: Victor Lafay, second in the GC, just fifteen seconds behind leader Paul Double, was willing to lay all his cards on the table.

The Decathlon AG2R rider—who says he is still uncertain about his cycling career—quickly forged a promising gap, received a brief helping hand from teammate Peters on the way, and reeled in the remaining escapees, including Costiou, one by one. Lafay crested the climb with around fifteen seconds' advantage but then faced the daunting task of staying away from a chasing group of about twenty riders.