With Javier Romo (MOV) and Jhonatan Narváez (UEX) on the attack, Afonso Eulálio recognised the danger and joined the battle among the GC contenders, claiming the maximum 10 points at the second-category climb.

Our Portuguese rider now leads the mountains classification, 4 points ahead of Rudy Porter (JAY) and 6 ahead of Rémy Rochas (GFC).

Afonso Eulálio: “It’s my first time in China, and I love it. Being on the podium feels really good, and seeing so many fans bringing photos for me to sign is amazing. It really motivates me.”

Looking ahead, Afonso remains ambitious about the general classification: “The GC is our main goal, and we’ll take it day by day to see what we can achieve.”

Lead Sports Director Aart Vierhouten: “We’re happy to have the jersey in a WorldTour race, and it’s a nice bonus for Afonso and the team. Pau was our fastest rider up front and did a great job in the intermediate sprint, taking two seconds with the help of Vlad Van Mechelen and Max van der Meulen.”

“It was important for us to get ahead of other GC contenders such as Tom Pidcock (PQT) at the intermediate sprint. Our focus now is on the stages ahead.”