‘I didn’t know if I’d ride a bike again’ – Milan Vader caps comeback with Guangxi win

Tour of Guangxi 2023: Milan Vader (Jumbo-Visma) closes in on victory and the lead
Tour of Guangxi 2023: Milan Vader (Jumbo-Visma) closes in on victory and the lead (Image credit: Getty Images)

Motivation is nine-tenths of the law at this point in the year. When Milan Vader expressed an interest in riding the Tour of Guangxi, Jumbo-Visma management figured the trip to China might be worth the effort after all. Any thoughts of sitting out the final WorldTour race of the season were put to one side.

Vader’s enthusiasm for the adventure was based on what he had read online about the decisive climb to Nongla on stage 4, and the ascent proved as appealing in reality as it had done in theory. After the peloton was whittled down on the lower slopes, the Dutchman bounded clear inside the final kilometre to claim his first professional victory, six seconds clear of Remy Rochas (Cofidis).

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.