The final WorldTour race of the 2026 season, the Tour of Guangxi, got underway on Tuesday on the other side of the world, with each of its first three stages ending in a bunch sprint. Despite some often chaotic finales, Matteo Milan (6th) on the opening day and Cyril Barthe (10th) on day three managed to secure top-10 finishes. Another sprint opportunity could arise on Saturday, while the general classification is expected to be decided on Sunday.
The Tour of Guangxi got underway on Tuesday with a short, 150-kilometre stage around Chongzuo featuring no significant difficulties. The peloton therefore had little trouble controlling and catching a three-man breakaway, setting up the first bunch sprint on Chinese soil. In the final five kilometres, Groupama-FDJ United moved up in force to the front position for its Italian sprinter, Matteo Milan. “We had a very solid team towards the finish, but Matteo was probably a little too far back in the lead-out train, which made him lose a few places,” explained William Green. “He still managed to move back up thanks to Tom in the final kilometre and found himself in an ideal position to launch his sprint. He started his effort almost at the same time as Magnier, and ultimately, it was the legs and power over the final 200 metres that made the difference.” While the Frenchman was clearly above the rest, Matteo Milan secured a solid sixth place on the line. “He did very good and understood the final well,” William added. “Unfortunately, he briefly lost contact with his teammates and had to spend some energy to move back up, but he is still young and learning. Sixth place is nevertheless a very nice result.”
“Really proud of Matteo” – William Green
Having secured his third WorldTour top-10 finish of the year, the young Italian was hoping to maintain his momentum on Wednesday, despite a more demanding stage heading towards Jingxi. “It was a really tough day, with a fight to get into the breakaway lasting 65 kilometres, and temperatures around 35 degrees,” William said. “There was also an eight-kilometre climb at 4% with 30 kilometres to go. Four of the best sprinters on the start line were dropped on that climb, and I expected to see Matteo very soon. But actually, he did his best-ever power on that climb and managed to hang on. That’s a very positive sign, and I’m really proud of him and the progress he’s made since the start of the season. Over the past few months, we’ve been working with him towards the goal of him being able to be at the finish on harder days. He did exactly that, even if it surely cost him some energy.” Several attacks also animated the closing stages, but Groupama-FDJ United remained well represented at the front before taking control of the peloton around five kilometres from the finish.
Shortly before the flamme rouge, however, the team was overtaken, and its sprinter was no longer able to fight his way back to the front of the bunch. “We executed our strategy well, and Matteo was more aggressive, but one rider still managed to get between him and our lead-out train,” William explained. “He was nevertheless in position to sprint with 500 metres to go, but his 10-second power was significantly lower than the day before, which explains why he finished 15th. He also got caught up in traffic, of course, but when you’re not feeling as strong, you tend to fight less for position. If he’d had the legs, he could have achieved a much better result. That said, we’re happy with both the team and Matteo. He gave it everything, and it looks good for the future.” In the short term, another bunch sprint was expected on Thursday’s third stage in the Guangxi region. This time, however, the riders faced 212 kilometres and a few short climbs. “We knew it was going to be a demanding day, with the heat once again and some fatigue in the legs,” William explained. “There was a short climb 2.5 kilometres from the finish, and it was crucial to hold our position there. The plan was for Cyril to support Matteo, but if Matteo wasn’t there, for Cyril to do his sprint. The sprint was once again very hectic, and we eventually finished 10th with Cyril and 11th with Matteo. I think that’s our place, but we made a good effort.”
“We just lack a little bit of power” – William Green
The first half of the Tour of Guangxi thus concluded with a second top-10 finish for the team, while the more demanding second half now lies ahead. “Honestly, I think we’ve done everything we could over these past three days, and we’re very happy with the squad,” William concluded. “Of course, nothing is ever perfect, and there are always details we can improve, but we’ve shown that we have a strong team. We just lack a little bit of power in the final kilometre to secure a really top result, but we’ve done what we needed to do. Tomorrow’s stage looks extremely demanding, and it will be difficult to control the race. I think it will be more of a battle between the GC teams. That could make for a very interesting stage, so we’ll need to be ready and have several options. Stage five could end in a sprint, but after tomorrow’s tough day, fatigue will start to take its toll. I’m not sure all the sprinters will still be in the peloton at the finish. Finally, on Sunday, it will all be about the general classification, with an uphill finish.”
