S3 | Career-Best Performance! 24-Year-Old TSARENKO Kyrylo Wins Queen Stage and Takes Yellow JerseyOn April 9, 2025, the third stage of the "XDS Cup" 16th Tour of Hainan

On April 9, 2025, the third stage of the "XDS Cup" 16th Tour of Hainan concluded with a thrilling two-man sprint finish at Baoting, Hainan. TSARENKO Kyrylo, a 24-year-old Ukrainian rider from the SOLUTION TECH VINI FANTINI TEAM, outpaced RAILEANU Cristian of the LI NING STAR TEAM to secure his team's second consecutive victory. This win marked TSARENKO Kyryl's highest-level career victory, making him the new yellow jersey holder. RAILEANU Cristian and MULUEBERHAN Henok of the XDS ASTANA TEAM took second and third place, respectively.

The third stage, spanning 212.6 kilometers from Ling Shui to Baoting via Qiongzhong and Wuzhishan, was a mountainous segment known as the "Queen Stage." It tested riders' endurance and filtered out the true leaders in the general classification. The race began at the Hainan Ocean Paradise Resort, with the first intermediate sprint at 29.7 kilometers, followed by three climbs: a Category 2 climb at 55 kilometers, a Category 3 climb at 74.8 kilometers, and another Category 3 climb at 97.8 kilometers. After these climbs, riders adjusted their pace in Qiongzhong before tackling the final challenge at Wuzhishan. The climb at Atuoling, 7.1 kilometers long with a 5.2% gradient, reached an altitude of 785 meters. Following the descent, the second intermediate sprint was set at 173.8 kilometers, leading to the final sprint at Baoting.

The race started at 9 AM with 133 riders signing in. Early attempts at breakaways were unsuccessful. By the 19th kilometer, HORVAT Ziga of the FNIX-SCOM-HENGXIANG CYCLING TEAM, SINSCHEK Nils of the PARKHOTEL VALKENBURG, and SEVILLA RIVERA Oscar Miguel of TEAM MEDELLIN-EPM formed a three-man breakaway group. They dominated the first intermediate sprint and the first three climbs, building an eight-minute gap with the peloton.

As the race approached the 160-kilometer mark, HORVAT Ziga dropped back, leaving SINSCHEK Nils and SEVILLA RIVERA Oscar Miguel to continue their breakaway. SINSCHEK Nils secured the top spot at the Atuoling climb and SEVILLA RIVERA Oscar Miguel won the final intermediate sprint. SINSCHEK Nils's efforts earned him the polka-dot jersey as the King of the Mountains. After completing their points, they rejoined the peloton with about 50 kilometers remaining. As the finish approached, TSARENKO Kyrylo and RAILEANU Cristian seized their opportunity to break away, expanding their gap to 55 seconds with three kilometers left. TSARENKO Kyrylo ultimately won the stage.

In a post-race interview, TSARENKO Kyrylo said, "Today's race was very difficult, with tough winds and various short and long climbs. I got cramps up in the final, so I wasn't sure if I could beat Cristian in the sprint, but I did, and I'm really happy."

SINSCHEK Nils, who won three most aggressive awards and the King of the Mountains title, expressed his satisfaction: "I've been trying to break away. As a team, we're always attacking. I don't want to wait; I want to attack immediately and see what happens. Today's breakaway was great, with just three of us. It was tough, but I worked well with the other two, which is why we could stay ahead for so long. It's really nice to get the polka-dot jersey as a reward." When informed that he had risen to third in the general classification, Sinschek was both surprised and pleased.

The fourth stage, from Baoting to Sanya via Ledong and Dongfang, will cover 190.8 kilometers on a predominantly flat route. It remains to be seen if TSARENKO Kyrylo, who leads by four seconds over second place and 50 seconds over third, can defend his yellow jersey and achieve his best career result in the Tour of Hainan.