Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny) takes the important stage win of the 5th stage of the Gree Tour of Guangxi 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Max Kanter (Astana-Qazaqstan) will be competing in the leader’s red jersey for the second time at the 2024 Tour of Guangxi(Image credit: Getty Images)
Handshakes in front of the stage for the winner of the second stage, Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal-Quickstep)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Loto-Dstny) is ready for the important GC day(Image credit: Getty Images)
Starting with Kanter in the top jersey, Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) in the points jersey, Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal-Quickstep) at the top of the KOM classification and Filip Maciejuk (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) at the top of the youth classification(Image credit: Getty Images)
The break(Image credit: Getty Images)
Some rain fell(Image credit: Getty Images)
But it certainly wasn’t all gloomy weather(Image credit: Getty Images)
A stage win and the overall lead for Van Eetvelt(Image credit: Getty Images)
A completely exhausted Alex Baudin (AG2R La Mondiale)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny) stormed to victory on the fifth stage of the Gree Tour from Guangxi, took the all-important summit victory on Saturday and thus took the lead in the overall race.
As the summit finish got closer and closer, Van Eetvelt gave up his strength and took victory, beating Oscar Onley (DSM Firmenich-PostNL). Onley moved into second after the pair caught, then quickly shot past Victor Lafay (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) as the line was tantalizingly close. Lafay then pushed for the finish line along with his teammate Alex Baudin, who finished third, while Lafay had to settle for fourth place.
“I didn’t feel particularly good today at first,” Van Eetvelt said in a Lotto-Dstny media statement. “But if the team wants to work for you, you can’t complain and you just have to give it your all.”
The first big attack in the final stages of the climb came from UAE Team Emirates rider Tim Wellens in the final two kilometers, with Lafay picking up and then continuing.
“When Tim Wellens attacked, I thought today wouldn’t be my day,” Van Eetvelt said. “But the last kilometer is so hard and I know how to keep my own pace on sections like that, so I just kept going.”
Van Eetvelt’s win on the crucial GC stage gave the 23-year-old the red top jersey, with Onley five seconds behind and Baudin 15 seconds behind with just one stage to go. Therefore, it looks as if Van Eetvelt, who started the season with overall victory at the UAE Tour, could end his 2024 season with victories at the WorldTour GC.
Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal-Quickstep) maintained his lead in the mountains classification, while Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) also maintained his top spot and the race lead. The Belgian Lotto Dstny rider also replaced Filip Maciejuk (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) at the top of the youth classification.
How it developed
It was always expected that the fifth stage of the Tour of Guangxi would be the day for the overall winners, because while the sprinters dominated the opening four stages, a summit climb on Saturday finally gave the climbers a chance to succeed and take the red jersey , which they had so far were divided among the fast finishers.
There were more climbs on Friday’s fourth stage, but the difference from Saturday’s 165.8km stage from Yizhou to Nongla was that I reached the summit. In fact, the total elevation gain was only 1,420 meters as it was a relatively flat run for most of the stage and the first categorized climb, a Category 3, came after 100km of the stage had already been completed.
After the race began at Hechi City Center Square, the EF Education-EasyPost duo Jonasrutsch and Stefan Bissegger built a lead over Koen Bouwman (Visma-Lease a Bike) and stage two winner Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal-Quickstep ), at about 2:40 20km into the race day.
Unsurprisingly, the fast Vangheluwe took the best sprint points after 60.7 km, while Schiebe took the best KOM points on wet roads after 117 km into the race day and the second stage winner also took the top spot in the second intermediate sprint after 142 km secured.
At this point the gap was approaching a minute, with the DSM-Firmenich-PostNL team of Oscar Onley and Max Poole and the Lidl-Trek team Quinn Simmons at the front of the field. Nevertheless, the break remained, even ifrutsch ultimately dropped out. When he was swept back into the main group with 10km to go, the gap was still around 1:20.
In the last five kilometers, as the road climbed, the lead quickly fell and Bouwman decided to go it alone in his final race with Visma-Lease a Bike. Bissegger and Vangheluwe were quickly swept away while Bouwman stayed ahead. But as he passed the 4km mark from the finish, a quick glance over his shoulder showed that it wouldn’t be long before he too would be swept away.
Lotto picked up the pace at the front, trying to set up the final step for Lennert Van Eetvelt on the crucial Category 1 finish climb to Nongla – a 3.2km climb with an average gradient of 6.3%. However, it was Wellens who took advantage first, starting with about 1.5km to go, and Victor Lafay (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) quickly jumped on his wheel and then started alone.
For a while it looked like this might be the move of the day, but the chase increased beyond the finish line and just a few hundred meters from the finish line, Onley and Van Eetvelt caught the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider and walked right past it.
Van Eetvelt then jumped off Onley’s wheel and quickly gained a decisive lead, while the DSM Firmenich-PostNL riders’ pursuit was quickly undone by the realization that he simply couldn’t dig any deeper.
“The boys rode really well today, controlling the break and positioning me and Max on the climb,” Onley said in a statement. “On the climb it was all about our legs for both of us.” I’m happy with second place and another consistent result after a long season.”
There have been many ups and downs for winner Van Eetvelt this season, from winning the UAE Tour to retirement due to knee problems and a car accident during training, but now it looks like he will end the season on a high note – Only the 134 km long final stage on Sunday stands between him and overall victory.
The sixth stage takes place on a circuit around Nanning, where riders have to tackle a Category 2 climb every lap. KOM points are awarded in the first, third and fifth rounds, while the intermediate sprints are awarded in rounds two and four. The final finish line will deliver the WorldTour’s final classification, stage and overall winner in 2024.
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