Shortly after the start in Jingxi, a group of four riders broke away. With three climbs awaiting near the end of the stage, the escapees never gained a significant lead over the peloton. Team Visma | Lease a Bike stayed alert on the hot day in eastern China, keeping a constant presence near the front.

Despite the climbs in the finale, the sprinter teams got their way. The fastest men in the peloton contested the sprint on the streets of Bama, with Magnier taking the win for the third consecutive day. Niklas Behrens, who finished eleventh yesterday, tried to fight for a top placing again but got boxed in and could not contest the sprint.

“We got through the day well”, sports director Jesper Mørkøv says afterwards. “It was a hot, tough day for the riders. The key was to stay well-positioned in the peloton, and we did that. In the finale, the pace went up and we had hoped for a different scenario than a sprint, but that didn’t work out. Then we shifted our focus to Niklas, but unfortunately he got a bit boxed in during the sprint.”

Mørkøv continues: “All our GC riders crossed the line safely, and that was the main goal today. Cian looked very strong again. Our main targets are later this week. We’re really looking forward to the final climb in fifth stage. As a team, we’re still in a good position.”