Photo finish on four-lane highway: Taminiaux narrowly faster than fellow countryman Van Hoecke in Guangxi

The first stage of the very last WorldTour race of 2024 has been won by Lionel Taminiaux. The fast rider from Lotto Dstny opened the Tour of Guangxi with a victory in the mass sprint on the streets of Fangchenggang. As a result, Taminiaux is also the first leader, narrowly beating Gijs Van Hoecke in the sprint.

Hot conditions in Guangxi, while autumn slowly sets in across Europe. The images from the peloton are always somewhat surreal, much like those from the Tour Down Under. The race included four laps through the start and finish town, with a few hills along the way. These shouldn’t have posed a problem for the sprinters in the peloton, who otherwise won’t have much to look forward to in this edition, as it’s packed with hilly stages. So, who seized the opportunity?

Two Belgians in the lead, including Pogacar's newly appointed helper Herregodts

After just a few kilometers, a breakaway formed, partly due to the day's course profile. It seemed that no one saw real chances for a successful escape, except for two Belgians. Stan Dewulf, riding for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, and Rune Herregodts, who was racing in one of his final days for Intermarché-Wanty. Herregodts is soon set to join Tadej Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates.

The duo at the front quickly received the peloton's blessing, building a lead of about three and a half minutes. However, 35 kilometers from the finish, the riders in the pack began to close the gap, which slowly started to shrink. For the few supporters along the roadside, there wasn’t much else to witness. It was a long build-up to the day's final sprint, where the victory and the leader’s jersey awaited.

Build-up to the sprint: Dewulf refuses to accept the classic scenario

Dewulf wasn’t content with a breakaway destined to die quietly. He attacked on one of the small climbs and dropped Herregodts. With 15 kilometers to go, he still had a 1:38 minute lead over the peloton. Were we in for a classic cat-and-mouse game? Absolutely! Dewulf powered on, and with nine kilometers left, his advantage had shrunk to just under a minute. However, the chase intensified, with none other than Chris Froome putting in hard work at the front.

On the straight, wide roads, the last escapee was quickly within sight. Several teams took turns at the front, including Astana, Cofidis, and Soudal Quick-Step. With three kilometers remaining, the brave Belgian was caught. As the riders entered the final 1,000 meters, EF Education-EasyPost’s lead-out train, working for Marijn van den Berg, appeared perfectly positioned. But they went too early, and the sprint turned chaotic, with many riders side by side. Taminiaux seemed to be the first to cross the line, just ahead of Van Hoecke, who finished second for Intermarché-Wanty.

Results stage 1 Tour of Guangxi 2024

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