Race Preview: Tour of Guangxi Women

The final race of the season in the Women’s WorldTour, Tour of Guangxi Women, takes place this Sunday, October 20, in the southern Guangxi region of China on the border of Vietnam. The 134.3km race is hillier than last year’s and features a climb of 1.4km that averages 11.7% that the peloton will tackle five times.

History of the Tour of Guangxi Women

The Tour of Guangxi Women’s WorldTour is a relatively new addition to the UCI Women’s WorldTour, first introduced in 2017. It serves as the final race on the women’s calendar, offering a platform for the sprinters to shine due to its generally flat profile. Held in the Guangxi region of southern China, the race complements the men’s edition and showcases the growth of women’s cycling in Asia.

The Tour of Guangxi was initially launched as part of the Chinese government’s effort to promote cycling and showcase the region’s natural beauty. Its inclusion in the UCI WorldTour for men and women has cemented its place in the global calendar, drawing top teams and riders. The Guangxi region, with its mix of modern urban settings and traditional Chinese landscapes, offers a scenic backdrop to the race, which is typically a one-day event. As the concluding race of the Women’s WorldTour, the race often has little impact on the overall standings but provides an exciting finale for the season’s sprinters. For years, the UCI held it’s annual Gala in Guangxi as well.

The women’s edition, like the men’s, takes place in and around the city of Guilin, famous for its limestone karst hills and rivers. While the men’s race features more mountainous terrain, the women’s route typically emphasizes flat stages, creating a perfect platform for sprinters to end their seasons on a high note. The inclusion of Guangxi on the calendar highlights the UCI’s commitment to growing cycling’s footprint in Asia.

Previous Winners and Race Highlights

• 2017: The inaugural edition of the Tour of Guangxi Women was won by Maria Vittoria Sperotto of Italy, marking the beginning of what would become a respected race for sprinters.
• 2018: Dutch rider Marianne Vos, a legend in women’s cycling, claimed the top spot in the second edition. Known for her versatility, Vos used her experience and power to secure the win in the bunch sprint.
• 2019: The third edition was taken by Chloe Hosking, an Australian sprinter. She outsprinted a strong field to cap her season with a prestigious WorldTour victory.
• 2020-2021: The race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with many other events in the region.
• 2022: The race returned after the pandemic pause, with Dutch rider Charlotte Kool sprinting to victory, reinforcing her status as one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton.

Many of the teams that raced in the previous week’s three-day Tour of Chongming Island will be present. Teams scheduled to compete are: 4 WorldTour teams (UAE/ADQ, Ceratizit-WNT, Human Powered Health, Roland), 13 Continental-level teams and 1 National Team (China).

COURSE PROFILE

Unlike last year, this year’s course features 600 meters more of climbing and may mean that pure sprinters will have greater difficulty than last year. The race course consists of a loop that starts and finishes in Nanning, which is situated in a hilly basin with elevations that peak at around 500 meters. The peloton will tackle five ascents of the 1.4km climb at 11.7%, followed by around 20km of flat roads to the finish line. Which means that a strong group of riders could take the victory from the sprinters this year if they attack on the climb and gain enough time to hold off the peloton on the flat 20km run-in to the finish.

RIDERS TO WATCH

*** Marta Lach, Mylène de Zoete, Kathrin Schweinberger

** Tereza Neumanova, Karolina Kumiega, Silvia Zanardi, Sofie van Rooijen

* Barbara Malcotti, Giada Borghesi