The 7th Tour of Guangxi: Historic Polka-Dot Jersey and a Moment for All

Nanning, Guangxi Oct 22, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - From October 13 to 18,the 2026 Cotti Coffee-Tour of Guangxi WorldTour unfolded across Guangxi. Twenty-two of the world's top teams battled over six days, covering 1,068.6 kilometres of spectacular race routes. Wang Ruidong of the Chinese National Team claimed a historic WorldTour polka-dot jersey. For the first time, professional riders and amateur cyclists started side-by-side in the mass-participation race. Event exposure quickly translated into tangible development gains. Sporting breakthroughs,public engagement and boosted consumption together write the vibrant story of this year's Tour of Guangxi.

Race Review: Six Days of Showdown, World-Class Competition Concludes at Nongla

This edition set new records for event scale. Twenty-two teams assembled in Guangxi,including 18 full-strength UCI WorldTour squads,three pro-continental outfits and the Chinese National Team -- the largest field in the Tour of Guangxi`s history. The race linked five cities: Chongzuo,Baise, Hechi,Laibin and Nanning. Starting with the Chongzuo city stage, it passed through Jingxi, Bama, Fengshan, Tian`e, Jinchengjiang, Huanjiang, Luocheng, Yizhou and Xincheng, before finishing atop the iconic Nongla climb in Mashan. The course featured flat circuits, rolling hills and decisive summit finishes, raising the bar for athletic challenge.

The final stage delivered a classic showdown. On October 18, Stage 6 ran from Yizhou via Xincheng and Shanglin to the Nongla summit in Mashan. On the legendary climb where "whoever conquers Nongla conquers the Tour of Guangxi", 20-year-old Arnaud De Lie of Lotto-Dstny crossed the line first. He edged Olympic champion Pidcock by nine seconds to secure overall victory.

The classification jerseys were awarded as follows: Arnaud De Lie took both the overall red jersey and the white best-young-rider jersey. Paul Magnier of Soudal-Quick-Step won two stages to claim the blue points jersey for best sprinter. Baptiste Vercoutere of Lotto-Dstny earned 46 mountain points and was crowned King of the Mountains in the polka-dot jersey.

Wang Ruidong's Polka-Dot Jersey: A Historic Milestone for Chinese Cycling

One of the most emotional historic moments came courtesy of China's national squad. On October 15, Stage 3 departed Jingxi for Bama. At 211.9 kilometres, it was the race's longest stage, featuring two intermediate sprints and two mountain points, all situated in the second half. Its sheer distance plus undulating terrain tested endurance, mental toughness and tactical decision-making to the limit.

Wang Ruidong made a bold move to join the day's breakaway. He sprinted hard to take points at the second-category climb and defended his position to the finish. Points earned on those two climbs combined to make history: he became the first Chinese rider ever to pull on an official leader's jersey at the Tour of Guangxi since its launch in 2017. For the first time, a Chinese men's road cyclist etched his name into the record books of top-flight UCI WorldTour competition.

Before this achievement, the iconic polka-dot jersey, which rewards climbing prowess, had been won exclusively by European and North American professionals. After seven years of preparation, the vision behind launching the event bore fruit amid the karst mountains between Jingxi and Bama. As outlined in China's 15th Five-Year Plan, China aims to integrate mass and elite sport, build a stronger sporting nation, nurture flagship events and use elite breakthroughs to inspire public participation. Wang Ruidong's milestone on the global stage perfectly embodies these goals. Much like how Li Na and Zheng Qinwen popularised tennis across China, this polka-dot jersey will ignite nationwide enthusiasm for road cycling. "This is just the beginning," Wang Ruidong commented. The jersey rests not only on his shoulders, but also on the broader era of Chinese road cycling.

Mass-Participation Race: Pros and Amateurs Ride Together, Cycling for Everyone

A major innovation this year opened the world-class course wider to the public and vastly improved the experience for amateur cyclists. 2026 Cotti Coffee Tour of Guangxi Mass Race·Ride Across Guangxi Series had two stops. At Chongzuo on October 13, professional and amateur riders started simultaneously side-by-side on the same roadway. For the very first time, hobbyists lined-up alongside top pros -- a rare format among global cycling events. A total of 1,509 riders flocked to the border city of Chongzuo. On October 17 at Huanjiang-Luocheng, mass riders watched the pro peloton pass before setting off over 111.54km of WorldTour tracks. Their route included two WorldTour-graded climbs with 1,802m of total elevation gain, winding past villages of the Maonan and Mulao ethnic groups amid karst peaks.

The two mass-participation stages drew 2,567 registrants from home and abroad; over 80% travelled in from outside Guangxi, including competitors from more than ten countries and regions such as the United States, Romania and Thailand. Li Si, winner of the women's open category who travelled all the way from Chengdu, said she cherished both her victory and the chance to race on genuine WorldTour roads amid stunning scenery. BRUNER Joel, an American cyclist who entered both mass stages, stated: "I will definitely come back next year." After the main event concludes, four further mass cycling events will be held across Guangxi, extending the momentum of the WorldTour and transforming elite racing routes into public fitness corridors. 

Event-Driven Consumption: Turning Spectator Traffic into Economic Growth 

Boosting consumption through sport was a core theme of this year's Tour of Guangxi. Cultural-tourism authorities in Guangxi leveraged the "Guangxi Ticket Pass" platform to connect sports, tourism, commerce and cultural resources. Five host cities including Chongzuo and Baise rolled out race-related perks: scenic-area discounts, deals for accommodation, food and shopping, plus 20%-off vouchers worth up to 200 RMB distributed across digital platforms. The "One-Click Visit Guangxi" portal featured a dedicated Tour of Guangxi hub, consolidating spectator guides, ticket reservations and accommodation searches for seamless trip'planning.

Spectator footfall translated into real-world commercial returns. The Hechi terminal-zone fair attracted over 10,000 visitors and generated more than 100,000 RMB in on-site sales. The Bama rural market recorded combined online-and-offline sales of 2million RMB. Customised race-viewing travel packages brought 259 visitors from three nations to Guangxi. Preliminary third-party economic assessment estimates direct economic benefits reached 1.235billion RMB (a 4.76% year-on-year increase), while indirect economic benefits hit 2.108billion RMB (+8.53% year-on-year)

More Than Racing: Marketplaces and Post-Event Activities Complete the Festival Atmosphere 

Beyond competitive racing, the Tour of Guangxi became a true public festival. Host cities set-up thematic market zones at venues, turning race sites into pop-up showcases for local Guangxi goods. Events such as "Guangxi Flavour Gatherings" and rider welcome gift packs gave star athletes a platform to promote regional products. Notably, on October18, the Nongla "Queen-Stage Climb Winners' Wall" was officially inaugurated in Mashan. As the Tour of Guangxi's first permanent cultural landmark, it opens year-round for cycling fans worldwide to visit. Fan meet-and-greets, virtual cycling challenges, custom-branded shared bikes with Guangxi-dialect voice prompts, plus permanent timing markers on the Nongla climb all help bring the WorldTour closer to ordinary people, delivering on the vision: "A global Tour of Guangxi, a WordTour for everyone".

After six days of competition and 1,068.6 kilometres of high-speed racing, the 2026 Cotti Coffee-Tour of Guangxi WorldTour drew to a successful close. The polka-dot jersey marks not an end, but a fresh starting-point for Chinese road cycling on the world stage. Sport fuels tourism and industry. The story of "a global Tour of Guangxi, a WorldTour for everyone" continues to unfold.

https://youtu.be/wNaH3gRU-W8

Media Contact

2026 Cotti Coffee-Tour of Guangxi WorldTour

*****@163.com

https://youtu.be/wNaH3gRU-W8