It is a particularly significant edition of the Tour of Hainan that will take place this week on the island in the South China Sea. The brief 2.Pro stage race, scheduled from Wednesday, April 15 to Sunday, April 19, celebrates its twentieth anniversary this season, a special occasion for which the organizers have decided to dust off some routes and locations that have not been used for some time, thus creating what, in terms of total distance, will be the longest route since the event adopted its current five-stage format three years ago.

Looking at the overall layout, it is immediately apparent that, contrary to what happened in the last three post-Covid editions (a period that marked a turning point in the history of the Asian race), the race will move along a substantially longitudinal direction, once again exploring the northern/northwestern area of the island which, since 2023 onwards, with routes concentrated in the lower half, had never been included.

This novelty will ensure that, after the opening stage from Haikou (returning to the route for the first time since 2017) to Danzhou (the finish line for the first time in eight years) which will allow the sprinters to compete for the first partial victory, on the second day of racing the riders, moving southward, will face a highly undulating and partially uncharted area which, with its elevation changes, will certainly select the field and ignite the battle among the favorites for the yellow jersey of the general classification.

From Danzhou to Wuzhishan indeed, in the first of two consecutive stages over 210 kilometers, in the final 104 km three category 1 climbs will be tackled in succession which, combined with the heat and the winding roads, will bring out the true values among the contenders for the final victory who will have in the iconic climb of Atuoling (8.1 kilometers at 5.3% average gradient positioned 15 kilometers from the finish) the ideal springboard to try to break away and register decisive gaps with an eye on the podium.

The next day, once the start is given from Wuzhishan, the favorites should have a chance to catch their breath: with the 4 climbs on the program all of contained difficulty (the most challenging being the category 2 climb of 3.4km at 6.1% just over seventy kilometers from the finish) and positioned in the first 145 of the 217 total kilometers, the stage should once again favor the sprinters who on the usual slightly downhill finish in Lingshui will be able to reach truly remarkable speeds.

Everything to be read and open to different outcomes instead will be the finale of the Lingshui-Baoting stage which, although shorter in length (132 kilometers) than the 2025 edition, could play a relevant role in defining the final standings due to its final 3,400 meters at 6.3% average gradient where, competing for victory, there could be both the most resistant sprinters and the general classification riders equipped with a good turn of speed.

They must keep in mind that this will be the last opportunity to adjust their positioning in the standings since the fifth and final day of racing will be, as usual, the domain of the sprinters with the classic grand finale in Sanya which, in this case, will arrive at the end of a 154-kilometer stage with all the elevation difficulties (including the category 1 climb of Telegraph Pole) concentrated in the first 46 kilometers.

Fast wheels and puncheurs then, reading the profiles of the various stages on the program, should alternate in taking center stage over the five days of racing at the Tour of Hainan, a race where high temperatures (expected to feel around 40 degrees) could influence the final outcome as much as the intermediate sprints with time bonuses which, in a race usually very balanced where it is difficult to open large gaps except through surprise moves (see those by Gate and Tsarenko in the last two editions), those fighting for the yellow jersey cannot fail to take into consideration.

THE STAGES

Stage 1: Haikou-Danzhou 177 kilometers

Stage 2: Danzhou-Wuzhishan 214.1 kilometers

Stage 3: Wuzhishan-Lingshui 217.6 kilometers

Stage 4: Lingshui-Baoting 132.7 kilometers

Stage 5: Baoting-Sanya 154.6 kilometers