At his last outing with the Arkea-B&B Hotels jersey (a team that this week announced the cessation of activities after failing to find funds to continue), Simon Guglielmi was far from running an anonymous Tour of Guangxi.

Driven by an evident desire to leave the team that has been his home for the past four seasons as a protagonist, the climber from Chambery (with distant Piedmontese origins) launched himself almost every day in attacks, ultimately being rewarded with the mountain jersey of the race.

"It's very nice to stand on the podium with this jersey in what might have been the last World Tour race of my career," the twenty-eight-year-old transalpine rider declared after the awards ceremony.

"I enjoyed every moment of this race and I'm happy to have concluded my experience with Arkea in this way, a team where riders are friends before being cyclists, and that's very important."

From his words, it's evident the disappointment of leaving an environment where he felt comfortable and a team that, in recent years, allowed him to participate in some of the most renowned races in the calendar (Giro, Tour, and Vuelta, but also Strade Bianche, Lombardia, and Liège among others), repeatedly highlighting his aggressiveness and climbing skills.

With these skills, in the last rosy days in China, the 1997-born rider put his signature on what will remain the last classification conquered in the history of Emmanuel Hubert's team, a satisfaction that will now allow Guglielmi to approach the offseason serenely and, subsequently, launch into the new adventure awaiting him next season, with the colors of St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93.

"Now I'll go home and rest for two weeks, then maybe I'll take a few days of vacation in Italy, in Tuscany to be precise, where I can enjoy the Italian cuisine that I love. Next year? I'll race with St-Michel Auber. I'm happy to have managed to sign with them because in recent weeks I hadn't yet found a team: I'll reunite with many people I've already met, so I think it will be a nice experience."