Without Milan Vader, who had to abandon on Thursday after an unfortunate crash, the remaining five riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike started Friday's stage, which covered around 180 kilometers. The stage featured nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain, the most of any stage in the Chinese race.

Four riders attacked early in the race, with two of them managing to stay ahead until two kilometers from the finish line. After they were caught, the preparation for the bunch sprint began. Van Dijke was positioned well by his teammates at the front. The Dutchman joined the sprint and secured fifth place. Ethan Vernon won the stage for the second consecutive day.

“I’m pretty happy with this fifth place”, Van Dijke said after the stage. “Usually, I never sprint for myself. My job is to lead-out for Olav. It’s a big loss that he’s not here. Of course, it’s quite an adjustment for me to be the one designated as the sprinter. I’ve had three chances this week, and I’ve learned a lot. Today was the first time I really got to sprint, so I’m satisfied with this fifth place.”