Milan Fretin Wins Stage 3 of Tour of Guangxi After Magnier’s Pedal Mishap

Milan Fretin Sprints to Stage Three Victory in Guangxi

Milan Fretin won the third stage of the Tour of Guangxi on October 15, 2026, after race leader Paul Magnier suffered a mechanical failure in the final sprint. The Cofidis rider triumphed on the 212.3-kilometer route from Jingxi to Bama, securing his first victory at WorldTour level. Frits Biesterbos finished second, and Jordi Meeus took third. The 25-year-old rider from Genk claimed the victory in the southern part of China in the final WorldTour race of the season, after earlier in the year winning a stage in the Spanish Ruta del Sol (2.Pro) and two stages in the French Tour de Poitou-Charentes (2.1) amidst a difficult classic spring season. With this victory, Belgium took the outright lead in the WorldTour standings for victories by country with 24 wins, one ahead of Slovenia, where 22 of their 23 wins belong to Tadej Pogacar alongside one win by Jakob Omrzel.

Mechanical Failure Derails Paul Magnier in Bamako

The finale of the stage featured a hectic sprint where Soudal Quick-Step positioned Magnier for a potential second ritzege. XDS Astana led the peloton into the closing kilometers for Max Kanter, but Soudal Quick-Step took control to pilot Magnier toward the line. When the French rider opened his sprint, he unclipped from his pedal, losing all momentum and handing the stage win to his rivals. The incident cost Magnier both the stage and his red leader’s jersey.

Frits Biesterbos Claims the Race Leadership

Following his stage two victory where he defeated Magnier and Olav Kooij, Picnic-PostNL rider Frits Biesterbos finished second in Bama to capture the overall race lead. Biesterbos now leads the general classification in the same time as Magnier heading into the fourth stage. Meanwhile, Fabio Jakobsen secured fourth place after navigating a strong late surge in the sprint, though he had to brake briefly to reset his momentum.

Early Breakaway Control on the Road to Bama

Three riders formed the early breakaway of the day: German rider Jasha Sütterlin of Jayco AlUla, Austrian Tobias Bayer of Alpecin-Premier Tech, and Chinese rider Ruidong Wang. The trio built a maximum advantage of approximately three minutes over the peloton. Soudal Quick-Step and Decathlon CMA CGM controlled the chase, neutralizing the last of the breakaway riders roughly twenty kilometers before the finish line ahead of the final hills and the mass sprint.