The second stage of the Chinese race started mostly flat, but the final kilometers included two climbs. With forty kilometers remaining, Vermote and seven other riders who had attacked early faced a twelve-kilometer climb. It wasn’t particularly steep, but it was the longest climb of this Gree-Tour of Guangxi.

Vermote’s group reached the summit with about a two-minute advantage. The cooperation in the break remained strong, which was essential to stay ahead of the peloton. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough, as the breakaway was caught with just half a kilometer to go by the chasing peloton. In the ensuing sprint, Belgian rider Warre Vangheluwe took the stage victory. Milan Vader, finishing in sixteenth place, was the best-placed rider for Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

“It was worth giving it a try today,” Vermote said afterwards. “There were some strong riders in the break, and our cooperation went well from the start. We managed to open up a nice gap and then slowed the pace slightly, to save some energy for the final part. The peloton had to give everything to catch us. For a moment, I thought we might be racing for the win, but unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. It felt great, after such a long season, to be on the attack and fighting for victory. It did me a lot of good. We’ll keep trying in the coming days with the team.”