Published on : 07/18/2026
The sun was back on the shores of Qinghai Lake for the final stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai. In the sprint finish, Alexis Renard took second place for the day.
After several days complicated by rain and cold, the peloton of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai enjoyed fine weather and sunshine for the race’s final stage on Saturday, July 18, 2026. After a long 35-km climb that reached an altitude of over 3,400 meters, the end of the stage was much flatter and ideal for a sprint finish on the shores of Qinghai Lake. Despite the attacks, the Cofidis riders did everything they could to set up Alexis Renard for success. Our Breton rider took second place at the finish. In the general classification, Emanuel Buchmann finished 9th in the race.
The reaction
Gorka Gerrikagoitia: "It wasn’t easy to control the race to set it up for a sprint finish. Emanuel Buchmann and Nicolas Debeaumarché did a good job of that. Alexis Renard finished in second place. He was beaten by a track specialist, Leitao (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA), who was stronger. There are no regrets."