Skjelmose, Narváez and Magnier headline Tour of Guangxi as 2025 WorldTour calendar and relegation battle draw to a close

Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) are among the big names set to headline this week's Tour of Guangxi in southwest China, as action in the 2025 WorldTour calendar draws to a close.

Just 48 hours after he raced and DNFed at Il Lombardia, Danish rider Skjelmose will start among the general classification favourites, but not without challenge, as Narváez looks to bookend a stunning first season on UAE Team Emirates-XRG with a victory in China to add to his GC title from the Tour Down Under – the first WorldTour event of the season in January.

Alongside them, looking to win the red jersey will be Cian Uijtdebroeks in his final race for Visma-Lease a Bike before he joins Movistar, and the likes of Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Narváez's punchy teammate, Jan Christen, who could similarly impress on the decisive fifth stage to Nong La.

UAE Team Emirates XRG, currently on 94 professional wins and already holding the record for the most wins by a team in a season, will be seeking a fabled 100th victory, to which a top-form Narváez could significantly contribute. However, without a recognised sprinter, it does look unlikely.

As is often the case in China, with several flat finishes on offer across the six stages, a strong sprint field has assembled in Fangchenggang for Tuesday's opener, led by Magnier, who has won 14 times so far in 2025.

Those set to battle it out with the Frenchman should include Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), and Max Kanter (XDS Astana), with a final few opportunities at WorldTour glory up for grabs.

One key storyline for the week was set to be the UCI testing a maximum gearing setup on bikes in pursuit of greater rider safety, though that test was cancelled after action led by the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA), following an appeal by component brand SRAM.

The battle for points

Perhaps more importantly, the Tour of Guangxi will be the continuation of a hard-fought, three-year battle for UCI points, with Cofidis desperately trying to gain the more than 300 points required to overhaul Uno-X Mobility and ensure they aren't relegated to cycling's second division come 2026.

It will take quite a performance by GC hopeful Emanuel Buchmann, who is in the latter years of his career, and sprinter Stanisław Aniołkowski. But as their Norwegian rivals aren't in China and only have a couple of races left in Veneto, Italy, at which to gain points, Cofidis aren't without hope, although it is slim.

Even still, this battle relies on the much-discussed Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty merger actually materialising, which would free up an 18th WorldTour spot for either Uno-X Mobility or Cofidis to move into, so Guangxi won't be the absolute end to that promotion/relegation cycle, but teams will fight to the very end - the season closing October 19 Veneto Classic will be their last showdown.

Contract hunting and retirements

While several high-profile riders' careers came to a close in Europe over the past weekend at Il Lombardia and Paris-Tours, Guangxi will also serve as an endpoint for some of those who are gracefully bowing out of their time in the sport, but it also provides a final chance to impress for those seeking a contract for the coming years.

This could very much become the case for riders currently on Lotto or Intermarché-Wanty, who are either aware or uncertain of whether they have a place in the planned merger, and could be forced back into survival mode.

For the likes of Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek) and Dan McLay (Visma-Lease a Bike), this will be the last dance in the WorldTour after long careers, and although they are several thousand miles from home and the usual European settings, it still offers up a worthy send-off.

Many riders may start in China without deals or extensions for the coming season and could be desperately looking for a result, which should become apparent as the six stages rage on in China's southwest corner. The men's peloton is a long way from January and those opening WorldTour tests in Australia, but it finally comes to an end in China, with plenty still to come out in the wash.