Jarno Widar won the Tour de Guangxi on Sunday, October 18, securing the overall victory after a demanding 6th and final stage concluding at Mashan Nongla in China. The 20-year-old Belgian rider finished ahead of Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock and France’s Louis Barré, sealing the final general classification in that exact order.
Climbers Conquer the Mashan Nongla Ascent
Widar claimed his victory on the World Tour circuit by delivering the strongest performance on the queen stage’s final climb, which measured 3 kilometers with an average gradient of 7.1 percent. He crossed the finish line of the 165-kilometer stage in 3 hours, 39 minutes, and 5 seconds. Pidcock finished the stage 6 seconds behind the winner, while Barré took third place, 10 seconds back. Germany’s Marco Brenner followed in fourth at 11 seconds, and Norway’s Martin Tjotta rounded out the top five, finishing 15 seconds off the pace.
#Replay 🎥 / #TourofGuangxi 🇨🇳🇧🇪 Jarno Widar (LOI) fait coup double en s’imposant en puncheur sur l’étape reine du Tour of Guangxi ! Il devance 🇬🇧 Tom Pidcock (PQT) et 🇫🇷 Louis Barré (TVL). pic.twitter.com/5DZYEUZwDi
General Classification and Final Standings
The stage results cemented the final general classification standings for the Chinese World Tour event. Widar captured the overall lead with a total winning time of 22 hours, 22 minutes, and 45 seconds across the race distance. Pidcock secured the runner-up position in the final standings, finishing 9 seconds behind the Belgian. Barré completed the overall podium in third place, trailing by 16 seconds. Brenner placed fourth overall at 21 seconds down, and Tjotta finished fifth at 22 seconds back.
Youth Rivalries and Professional Breakthroughs
Widar entered the professional ranks this season facing early disruptions from physical ailments, but he finished his debut campaign in dominant form. Widar established himself as a traditional rival to French phenom Paul Seixas through the categories of youth. Earlier in October, Widar notched the first success of his career at the elite level by winning the Tre Valli Varesine, where he also defeated Pidcock. Meanwhile, Magnier, who started Sunday morning wearing the red leader’s jersey, dropped back on the final climbing stage as expected, unable to follow the climbers.
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