Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Crew Emirates-XRG), and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) are among the many huge names set to headline this week’s Tour of Guangxi in southwest China, as motion within the 2025 WorldTour calendar attracts to a detailed.
Simply 48 hours after he raced and DNFed at Il Lombardia, Danish rider Skjelmose will begin among the many basic classification favourites, however not with out problem, as Narváez appears to bookend a surprising first season on UAE Crew Emirates-XRG with a victory in China so as to add to his GC title from the Tour Down Below – the primary WorldTour occasion of the season in January.
Alongside them, seeking to win the crimson jersey will probably be Cian Uijtdebroeks in his ultimate race for Visma-Lease a Bike earlier than he joins Movistar, and the likes of Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Narváez’s punchy teammate, Jan Christen, who might equally impress on the decisive fifth stage to Nong La.
UAE Crew Emirates XRG, at the moment on 94 skilled wins and already holding the document for probably the most wins by a workforce in a season, will probably be searching for a fabled a centesimal victory, to which a top-form Narváez might considerably contribute. Nevertheless, with out a recognised sprinter, it does look unlikely.
The battle for factors
Maybe extra importantly, the Tour of Guangxi would be the continuation of a hard-fought, three-year battle for UCI factors, with Cofidis desperately making an attempt to achieve the greater than 300 factors required to overtake Uno-X Mobility and guarantee they don’t seem to be relegated to biking’s second division come 2026.
It would take fairly a efficiency by GC hopeful Emanuel Buchmann, who’s within the latter years of his profession, and sprinter Stanisław Aniołkowski. However as their Norwegian rivals aren’t in China and solely have a few races left in Veneto, Italy, at which to achieve factors, Cofidis aren’t with out hope, though it’s slim.
Even nonetheless, this battle depends on the much-discussed Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty merger truly materialising, which might liberate an 18th WorldTour spot for both Uno-X Mobility or Cofidis to maneuver into, so Guangxi will not be absolutely the finish to that promotion/relegation cycle, however groups will struggle to the very finish – the season closing October 19 Veneto Basic will probably be their final showdown.
Contract searching and retirements
Whereas a number of high-profile riders’ careers got here to a detailed in Europe over the previous weekend at Il Lombardia and Paris-Excursions, Guangxi may even function an endpoint for a few of those that are gracefully bowing out of their time within the sport, however it additionally supplies a ultimate likelihood to impress for these searching for a contract for the approaching years.
This might very a lot grow to be the case for riders at the moment on Lotto or Intermarché-Wanty, who’re both conscious or unsure of whether or not they have a spot within the deliberate merger, and may very well be pressured again into survival mode.
For the likes of Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek) and Dan McLay (Visma-Lease a Bike), this would be the final dance within the WorldTour after lengthy careers, and though they’re a number of thousand miles from house and the standard European settings, it nonetheless gives up a worthy send-off.
Many riders might begin in China with out offers or extensions for the approaching season and may very well be desperately searching for a outcome, which ought to grow to be obvious because the six phases rage on in China’s southwest nook. The boys’s peloton is a good distance from January and people opening WorldTour exams in Australia, however it lastly involves an finish in China, with lots nonetheless to return out within the wash.