First victory for a Continental team at the Tour of Hainan 2026, a race that, in the third stage finishing in Lingshui, saw the solo triumph of Andreas Miltiadis.

Seizing the right moment 7 kilometers from the finish, the Cypriot champion of the Quick Pro Team managed to outwit the group of general classification contenders, crossing the line solo with a handful of seconds over Daniel Cavia (Burgos Burpellet BH) and Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel Euskadi), who, with the time bonuses guaranteed by third place, leaped to the top of the general classification, snatching the jersey from Guillermo Silva (XDS Astana).

THE RACE

Shortened from 217 to 193.8 kilometers, the stage starts immediately uphill, climbing the Atuoling ascent from the opposite side to that tackled yesterday (inserted in the route in place of the two third-category climbs originally planned). As expected, several riders (including Daniel Cavia, Andreas Miltiadis, Fergus Browning, Gaoshang Niu and polka-dot jersey wearer Igor Czhhan) attempt to break away from the group without succeeding.

After the first categorized climb (1st Masnada), it's Mathias Bregnhøj (Terengganu Cycling Team) who gains an advantage over a peloton that has thinned out on the climb, but the Danish attack is short-lived and is neutralized after the first intermediate sprint. Igor Czhan (Quick Pro Team), Fausto Masnada (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) and Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) then attack, taking the points at the two second-category climbs at 93 and 71 kilometers from the finish before the group, comprising around fifty riders and lacking all the top sprinters, reabsorbs them on the initiative of XDS Astana.

They arrive at high speed at the final intermediate sprint (1st Veistroffer ahead of Berasategi), after which Manuele Tarozzi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Fergus Browning (Terengganu Cycling Team) and Lucas De Rossi (China Anta Mentech) launch an attack: the trio manages to gain 40 seconds but, chased hard by the MBH men, their advantage quickly fades. When the group is almost upon Tarozzi and Browning, Alessandro Fancellu attacks from the side and manages to rejoin the duo at the front, but Astana and Polti don't allow any space and quickly close the gap, bringing the peloton back together 10 kilometers from the finish.

At 7 kilometers to go, it's Andreas Miltiadis (Quick Pro Team) who attempts the solo breakaway, attacking at just the right moment and immediately gaining a good margin. Demonstrating excellent form, in the following kilometers the Cypriot national champion maintains his gap unchanged and, thanks also to the slightly downhill finish, manages to fend off the last desperate assault from the riders behind him, who in the end can do nothing but cross the line when the class of '96 has already raised his arms to the sky.

For Miltiadis, who turns 30 on August 30th, this is his first professional victory outside his home country, where in recent times he has been the absolute dominant force, winning six national road titles and 11 time trial championships.

Euskaltel-Euskadi also celebrates, as with Xabier Berasategi they now hold two of the four jerseys in play, while Italy registers the top-ten finishes of Alexander Konychev, 4th, and Thomas Pesenti, 7th, remaining for now still at zero stage wins.

STAGE RESULTS

1. Andreas Miltiadis (CYP/Quick Pro Team) - 4:32:58

2. Daniel Cavia (SPA/Burgos Burpellet BH) at 0:02

3. Xabier Berasategi (SPA/Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 0:02

4. Alexander Konychev (ITA/China Anta Mentech Cycling) at 0:02

5. Petr Rikunov (RUS/Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu) at 0:02

6. Baptiste Veistroffer (FRA/Lotto Intermarché) at 0:02

7. Thomas Pesenti (ITA/Polti VisitMalta) at 0:02

8. Santiago Umba (COL/Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at 0:02

9. Sergi Darder (SPA/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at 0:02

10. Nicolas Vinokurov (KAZ/XDS Astana) at 0:02

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Xabier Berasategi (SPA/Euskaltel-Euskadi) - 13:53:57

2. Guillermo Thomas Silva (URU/XDS Astana) at 0:02

3. Lorenzo Quartucci (ITA/Burgos Burpellet BH) at 0:07

4. Thomas Pesenti (ITA/Polti VisitMalta) at 0:08

5. Baptiste Veistroffer (FRA/Lotto Intermarché) at 0:09

6. Mathias Bregnhoj (DAN/Terengganu Cycling Team) at 0:09

7. Nicolas Vinokurov (KAZ/XDS Astana) at 0:10

8. Diego Pablo Sevilla (SPA/Polti VisitMalta) at 0:11

9. Filippo Turconi (ITA/Bardiani CSF 7Saber) at 0:11

10. Gotzon Martín (SPA/Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 0:12

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Xabier Berasategi (ESP/Euskaltel-Euskadi)

Mountain Classification: Igor Chzhan (KAZ/Quick Pro)