Crash Chaos Disrupts Guangxi Tour Stage 3

The Gree-Tour of Guangxi stage 3 was temporarily paused after a mass crash involving over 20 riders, including several pre-race favorites. The race was forced to cancel the first intermediate sprint as the peloton regrouped, but the action soon resumed with a challenging stage still ahead.

Dramatic Incident Shakes Up Tour Standings

Crash Chaos Erupts Early in Stage

The stage 3 action of the Gree-Tour of Guangxi was thrown into disarray less than 30 kilometers into the day's racing. A mass crash involving over 20 riders brought the peloton to a standstill, with several high-profile names forced to abandon the race. Among those caught up in the incident were pre-race favorite Jhonatan Narváez of Ineos Grenadiers, Australian champion Luke Plapp of Jayco-AlUla, and last year's winner Milan Vader of Visma-Lease a Bike.The crash also impacted the race leader, Max Kanter of Astana-Qazaqstan, though he was able to rejoin the peloton before the race was temporarily paused. In total, six riders were forced to abandon the stage following the incident.

Attacks and Counterattacks Precede Crash

The stage had started in lively fashion, with a flurry of attacks from the gun. Robert Stannard of Bahrain-Victorious, Mick van Dijke of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal-Quickstep were among the early escapees, while a group of counterattackers including Jonas Rutsch of EF Education-EasyPost, Artem Schmidt of Ineos Grenadiers, and Taco van der Hoorn of Intermarché-Wanty also established a gap.However, the crash occurred before the attackers could be brought back, forcing the race to be temporarily paused to allow the peloton to regroup. The riders, teams, and race commissaires then agreed to cancel the first intermediate sprint, though the challenging stage profile, including three category 3 climbs and a second intermediate sprint, remained.

Rider Reactions and Injury Updates

The aftermath of the crash saw several teams provide updates on the condition of their riders. Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed that Milan Vader had sustained a deep wound under his left knee after being caught up in the incident, though he was quickly able to walk again after receiving treatment from the team doctor.Ineos Grenadiers also revealed that Jhonatan Narváez had to abandon the race after sustaining a "knock on his knee" in the crash, marking a disappointing end to his final race for the team. Jayco-AlUla, meanwhile, reported that Luke Plapp had abandoned due to "some dizziness" following the heavy impact.Other teams, such as EF Education-EasyPost and UAE Team Emirates, also provided updates on their riders involved in the crash, with Mikkel Honoré requiring further medical examination for an arm injury and Vegard Stake Laengen being confirmed as "fine" despite his abandon.

Race Resumes After Temporary Pause

After the temporary pause, the Gree-Tour of Guangxi stage 3 was able to resume, though the riders, teams, and race commissaires had agreed to cancel the first intermediate sprint. This meant no points or bonus seconds were awarded at that point in the stage.The remainder of the 214-kilometer stage to Bama, the longest of the tour, still featured three category 3 climbs and a second intermediate sprint, ensuring a challenging day of racing lay ahead for the peloton as they looked to recover from the earlier crash chaos.