The 25th 2026 "Great Beauty of Qinghai" Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race Stage 1 concluded this afternoon.

The 25th 2026 "Great Beauty of Qinghai" Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race Stage 1 concluded this afternoon. The Xining Criterium seemed uneventful at first, but rainfall added uncertainty to the entire race. After fierce competition, the stage culminated in a thrilling sprint finish. Alexander Sörby, the lead sprinter of Li-Ning Star Cycling Team, crossed the finish line by a narrow margin, claiming the opening stage victory of this year's Tour of Qinghai Lake.

For most of the stage, a three-rider breakaway group led the race, with their maximum time gap once reaching two minutes. Entering the final 20 kilometers, various sprint teams took control of the race pace and reeled in all the breakaway riders. The final stretch was an open straight road, and the sprint trains of multiple teams engaged in intense positioning battles in the last 3 kilometers. Alexander Sörby secured the stage win with his powerful sprinting ability.

The stage champion was extremely excited after the race. This Danish rider is no stranger to the Tour of Qinghai Lake — he claimed two stage victories here last year. Sharing the thrilling moments of the final kilometer after securing another win this year, he said: "The rain and the breakaway riders made the final sprint positioning extremely intense, which also led to a crash right before the finish. Unfortunately, I failed to get a favorable position at the very beginning, but my teammates successfully guided me into the ideal sprint spot. I overtook my competitors at the last moment and won the stage title. I am so happy and honored to be here at the Tour of Qinghai Lake. The team's cooperation was absolutely perfect. As long as the team stays united, nothing is impossible."

Talking about his feelings of claiming his third victory at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, he stated: "I have always had wonderful memories at this race, and this event is also very important for the team and our sponsors. So we had full communication and thorough preparations before the race to ensure we arrived here in the best possible form. I feel extremely honored to secure my third stage win. What's more, I am now wearing the yellow jersey, and I will remember this race forever."

When asked about keeping the yellow jersey ahead of tomorrow's tough stage, the stage champion also shared his thoughts: "I think I will most likely lose the yellow jersey tomorrow, but I will go all out in the race. Tomorrow's stage is very challenging, but fortunately, we still have several riders in good form on the team, who will keep fighting for a strong overall general classification result."

Tomorrow will see the Stage 2 "Jingjiu Liquor" Huangyuan - Menyuan race. Riders will take on the climbs of Beishan Pass and Bahada Daban, with the race altitude further rising and the challenges continuing to escalate. We look forward to the riders' performances.