Team UKYO strikes immediately at the Tour de Gyeongnam 2026 thanks to Simone Raccani. The twenty-five-year-old from Thiene secured victory in the first stage of the short South Korean race, outsprinting a group of seven men who contested the win at the finish line with a brilliant attack in the final kilometre, proving himself a skilled finisher in a stage that turned out to be more selective than expected.

The two laps of the rolling 47-kilometre circuit around the town of Geoje (the starting and finishing point of today's stage) saw the first significant selection form approximately seventy kilometres from the finish when a group of twelve riders (soon reduced to eleven) broke away decisively and subsequently increased their advantage over the main peloton.

Just under ten kilometres from the end, with a considerable lead established, the final climb of the day ensured that only Nils Sinschek and Simon Pellaud (Li Ning Star), Rein Taaramäe (Kinan Racing Team), Adne van Engelen (Terengganu Cycling Team), Daniel Whitehouse (St George Continental Cycling Team), Tommaso Dati and Simone Raccani (Team UKYO) remained at the front, with the latter proving clever in the final thousand metres to exploit his numerical advantage and surprise his rivals for victory with an unstoppable acceleration.

Thanks to this success (the ninth of the season for Alberto Volpi's team), Raccani (who had not celebrated since last year's Tour de Gyeongnam) also claimed the first yellow jersey as overall leader, a symbol he will wear tomorrow when departing from Tongyeong for the second of five stages scheduled.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Simone Raccani (Team UKYO) 2:48:35

2. Simon Pellaud (Li Ning Star) at 0:01

3. Tommaso Dati (Team UKYO) at 0:05

4. Nils Sinschek (Li Ning Star) at 0:05

5. Rein Taaramäe (Kinan Racing Team) at 0:05

6. Adne van Engelen (Terengganu Cycling Team) at 0:05

7. Daniel Whitehouse (St George Continental Cycling Team) at 0:05

8. Tegsh-Bayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance Winspace) at 0:37

9. Cristian Raileanu (Li Ning Star) at 1:22

10. Petr Rikunov (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team) at 1:28

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Simone Raccani (Team UKYO) at 2:48:25

2. Simon Pellaud (Li Ning Star) at 0:02

3. Tommaso Dati (Team UKYO) at 0:10

4. Adne van Engelen (Terengganu Cycling Team) at 0:14

5. Nils Sinschek (Li Ning Star) at 0:15

6. Rein Taaramäe (Kinan Racing Team) at 0:15

7. Daniel Whitehouse (St George Continental Cycling Team) at 0:15

8. Tegsh-Bayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance Winspace) at 0:45

9. Cristian Raileanu (Wheeltop Rotor Chengdu Team) at 1:30

10. Petr Rikunov (Li Ning Star) at 1:35

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Simone Raccani (Team UKYO)

Mountain Classification: Nils Sinschek (Li Ning Star)

Best Young Rider Classification: Lindon Milostic (St George Continental Cycling Team)