Tour of Guangxi 2024 Stage 5

October 19, 2024 The 165KM route today is mostly flat until the final 4.5KM when the road goes up to finish at the Nongla Lookout. The maximum gradient of 14% will separate the GC riders and likely decide the race overall. The atmosphere could not hold the humidity from the past days any longer and by 53KM to go, the rain was pouring in the break and the peloton. Up the road was Stefan Bissegger and Jonas Rutsch of EF-Education EasyPost, Warre Vangheluwe of Soudal-Quickstep, and Koen Bouwman of Visma-Lease a Bike. Their gap was 3 minutes at this point to a Lidl-Trek and DSM-Firmenich led peloton. With 15KM to go, the gap was 1 minute 15 seconds and many teams were sitting back, biding their time. At 10KM to go, the rain had cleared out and the roads were dry for a safe run-in to the base of the climb. Rutsch was the first dropped as the three remaining pressed and increased their advantage by 5 seconds. The drag race into the climb was won by Lotto-Dstny and Astana. The increased pace had brought the peloton to just 30 seconds behind Bouwman who was off the front alone. Lotto-Dstny took control and caught Bouwman with 3.8KM to go. At 1.8KM to go, Tim Wellens of UAE and Victor Lafay of Decathlon AG2R went off together as Lotto-Dstny organized a chase. Wellens was dropped under the 1KM to go banner but Lafay looked strong and continued on. The gaps were closing with 250M to go as Oscar Onley of DSM-Firmenich and Lennert Van Eetvelt of Lotto-Dstny got away from the rest. Lafay was caught at 100M as Onley was sprinting for the line. Van Eetvelt made one last effort and came around Onley with just 25M to go to win the stage. Behind, Lafay was pipped on the line by his teammate Alex Baudin for third. The GC now follows the same finishing order as the stage with Van Eetvelt leading by 5 seconds over Onley and 15 seconds to Baudin.