Tour of Guangxi 2026 continues on Wednesday 14 October with a 179.5km second stage from Chongzuo to Jingxi, with the race due to start at approximately 04:15 BST.
UK viewers will again miss the opening part of the stage, with live coverage scheduled to begin at around 06:40 BST on TNT Sports and HBO Max. The finish in Jingxi is expected at approximately 08:00 BST, although the exact timing will depend on how aggressively the peloton races the hillier second half.
Paul Magnier starts the stage in the race lead after winning the opening sprint in Chongzuo ahead of Sam Welsford and Max Kanter. Stage 2 is a different test, with more climbing before the run into Jingxi and a late ascent that could reduce the number of pure sprinters still in contention.
Tour of Guangxi 2026 Stage 2 start time and viewing details
- Date: Wednesday 14 October 2026
- Route: Chongzuo to Jingxi
- Distance: 179.5km
- Race start: approximately 11:15 local time / 04:15 BST
- UK live coverage: from approximately 06:40 BST
- UK TV: TNT Sports
- UK streaming: HBO Max
- Expected finish: approximately 08:00 BST
The stage starts more than two hours before the television window, so the breakaway should already be established by the time the live pictures begin. The key difference from Stage 1 is that the road becomes progressively harder as the race moves towards Jingxi.
For the complete field, see the Tour of Guangxi 2026 start list. The full route guide covers how Stage 2 fits into a race that becomes more selective as the week progresses.
How to watch Tour of Guangxi Stage 2 in the UK
TNT Sports is carrying the race in the UK, with the Stage 2 live window scheduled from around 06:40 BST. HBO Max provides the streaming option for viewers who want to watch online.
That leaves roughly 80 minutes of scheduled coverage before the anticipated finish. The organisers expect the race to reach Jingxi at around 08:00 BST, so viewers joining when the broadcast starts should still see the most important part of the stage.
The practical viewing window is therefore 06:40 to 08:00 BST. If you only want the final phase, joining at around 07:15 BST should still leave enough time to see the late climb and the run towards Jingxi, but waiting much beyond that risks missing the first attacks after the summit.
Stage 2 is harder than the Chongzuo opener
The route from Chongzuo to Jingxi is familiar territory for the Tour of Guangxi, but it is not a conventional flat sprint stage. The second half becomes more rolling before a longer climb of around 8.5km at just over 3% arrives late in the day.
The summit is less than 40km from the finish, which creates the main tactical question. The climb is not steep enough to guarantee that the pure sprinters are dropped, but teams with stronger all-rounders can increase the pace and try to make the run into Jingxi much harder to control.
That scenario still suits Magnier. He has repeatedly shown that he can survive rolling terrain better than many traditional sprinters, while Stage 1 confirmed that Soudal Quick-Step have the fastest finisher in the race when he reaches the final kilometre in position.
Olav Kooij, Kaden Groves and other fast finishers will need their teams to manage the climb without allowing a dangerous group to get clear. If the peloton regroups quickly after the summit, another sprint is the most likely outcome.
Magnier starts in red after winning Stage 1
Magnier took the opening stage in Chongzuo ahead of Welsford and Kanter, continuing the remarkable run he built at the Tour of Guangxi in 2025. He therefore starts Stage 2 in the red leader’s jersey and remains the obvious rider for rival teams to watch.
The Stage 1 result did not create meaningful GC gaps among the main overall contenders. Tom Pidcock, Jarno Widar, Kévin Vauquelin and the other riders targeting the final Nongla climb remain effectively level before the race moves into more demanding terrain.
The Stage 1 race report covers Magnier’s opening victory, while the Tour of Guangxi contenders preview looks at the riders expected to shape the general classification later in the week.
What to watch when the live coverage begins
By 06:40 BST, the stage should be entering the part of the route where the terrain starts to matter more. The early break may still be ahead, but the strongest sprint and GC teams should already be positioning for the late climb.
If Soudal Quick-Step, Decathlon CMA CGM and Alpecin-Premier Tech are still riding with several teammates around their sprinters, that will point towards another bunch finish. If the race has already fractured or a strong group has gone clear, the climb becomes much more important than the final straight in Jingxi.
The GC teams also have little reason to take unnecessary risks. Stage 2 can create small gaps if the peloton splits, but the decisive climbing comes later. For Pidcock, Widar, Vauquelin and the other overall contenders, staying near the front without becoming involved in the sprint remains the sensible objective.
When should UK viewers tune in?
The stage begins at around 04:15 BST, but UK live coverage is not due to start until approximately 06:40 BST.
For the full broadcast, be ready just before 06:40. If you only want the decisive part, 07:15 BST is a reasonable target, with the finish expected around 08:00 BST.
Stage 2 should tell us more than the opener about how well Magnier and the other sprinters can handle the harder roads of Guangxi, while still leaving the major GC fight for later in the week.
