Canadian Michael Leonard’s first WorldTour race is the last one of the season
China's Gree-Tour of Guangxi to roll for the first time since 2019
Photo by:
Sirotti
The youngest WorldTeam rider, Canada’s Michael Leonard, is finally getting a WorldTour start in his first year with Ineos Grenadiers. The 19-year-old will be racing China’s Gree-Tour of Guangxi, the first one since 2019 when Enric Mas, racing for Deceuninck-QuickStep, took the title.
🛬 It's the final WorldTour race of the season!
Introducing your Grenadiers for #TOG2023 🇨🇳 🙌 pic.twitter.com/0ASQXEUPXT
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) October 10, 2023
Gree-Tour of Guangxi is six stages, starting on Thursday with a sprinter’s stage in Beihai. The most important day for GC is Stage 4 from Nanning up to the Nongla Scenic Area, the only summit finish 3.3 km of 6.6 percent.
Leonard, Canada’s new time trial champion, has 35 racing days in 2023. After coming 68th in the Tour de L’Avenir, he’s had DNFs in three one-day races in Italy. He was 10th in the Glasgow Worlds U23 time trial but did not finish the road race.
The Women’s WorldTour also ends with the Tour of Guangxi, but it’s a one-day race on October 17. Alison Jackson was runner-up the last time it was held in 2019 and came 10th in 2018. Like Leonard on the men’s side, Maggie Coles-Lyster of Israel-Premier Tech-Roland will be the sole Canadian. The peloton will double up on China, racing the three-stage Tour of Chongming Island from October 12 to 14 before Guangxi. Demi Vollering will win the 2023 Women’s WorldTour, having claimed six of the last 14 rounds, including the Tour de France Femmes.
