A new WorldTour race late in October is an unlikely target for the majority of riders in the peloton. For Tim Wellens, however, the inaugural Tour of Guangxi presented an opportunity for a stage race win and important global exposure for his Lotto Soudal team.
On the queen stage of the race, the Belgian delivered on his ambition as he dispatched Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and Nico Roche (BMC) in the finale of the Nongla climb for a win that moved him into the race lead.
However, it could have all ended on the side of the road with a late crash on approach to the turn onto the three-kilometre climb.
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"It was right in front of me so I saw the crash. We were at very high speed to so I was very happy that nobody was injured from the team as it looked like a nasty crash. I hope everybody is ok. We were lucky to avoid to the crash," Wellens said of the incident that saw Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) injure his arm and abandon.
Shaking off the close call, Wellens repaid the work of his teammates, who had positioned him for an assault on the climb.
"Of course I am super happy. I was very good in front thanks to my teammates at the bottom of the climb and then I had a lot of power in the legs and I attacked together with Bauke Mollema. We stayed in front with three and then it was jut in the finale that I attacked one final time."
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