Published on : 07/11/2026
For eight days, the Cofidis team is heading to China for the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai. All week long, our riders will have to contend with altitude and weather conditions, just as they did during this first stage.
The Tour of Magnificent Qinghai has begun. On Saturday, July 11, 2026, the first stage of the Chinese race took place—a circuit around Xining to be completed nine times. On a course suited for the peloton’s sprinters, our riders had to contend with the altitude and roads at nearly 2,300 meters, as well as rain that fell throughout the day. At the finish, Alexis Renard took 4th place, getting the Cofidis team’s week off to a good start.
The reaction
Gorka Gerrikagoitia, sports director: "There was a lot of action on this stage, which took place on a circuit at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. We started out planning to go for the sprint with Alexis Renard. We did everything we could to help him and get him into a good position for the finish. He finished fourth. The top two finishers are track cyclists. Today’s race was perfect for them. Alexis Renard gave it his all. It’s really different here at this altitude. As soon as you put in an effort, it’s not easy to recover."