The pack moves to China for the last World Tour race of the season, the Gree-Tour or Guangxi. On 19 and 20 October, another part of the peloton will ride in the Japan Cup.

The Gree-Tour of Guangxi starts on Thursday in the coastal town of Beihai and it ends on Tuesday in Guilin. The race offers opportunities for sprinters, but also for climbers. Team Jumbo-Visma will appear at the start with a decimated team. Due to illness, only five riders could travel to China.

“In Timo Roosen we have someone who can put himself in a good position in a bunch sprint. He has a good chance to get a good result, especially in the stages where there are some short climbs at the end”, sports director Sierk Jan de Haan says. “In Antwan Tolhoek, we have someone who is strong uphill. There are only five of us, but the shape and the motivation are certainly there.”

Traditionally, Richard Plugge will take on the role of sports director during the Japan Cup. On Saturday, a short criterium of forty kilometres is on the program. On Sunday, the riders are going to ride the official road race of almost 150 kilometres.

The main indicator in the Japan Cup will be the climb to Chojo of 1.2 kilometres with a gradient of 8.5 percent. The riders must do this a total of fourteen times. Antwan Tolhoek, who is now participating in the Gree-Tour of Guangxi, managed to seize second place last year.

Sepp Kuss, Neilson Powless, Robert Gesink and Steven Kruijswijk get the chance to race for a good result. Koen Bouwman and Lennard Hofstede will assist them as well as possible.

The Chrono des Nations is being held on coming Sunday in Les Herbiers, France. On behalf of Team Jumbo-Visma, Primoz Roglic and Jos van Emden will ride the time trial. The time trial of 46 kilometres is the last race of the season for our team.