Hong Kong Cyclothon 2026: Magnier leads the favourites in the Asian race

Hong Kong Cyclothon 2026: top cycling returns to Asia On Sunday 11 October 2026, the Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon takes place, a procontinental category race that brings top cycling back to the former British colony. The start and finish location is Hong Kong (HKG), but official data does not provide information on distance and elevation gain, so it is not possible to anticipate the course's altimetric characteristics. The protagonists expected at the start 97 riders are registered, representing top-tier teams. Among the teams present are Soudal Quick-Step, Alpecin - Premier Tech, Lotto Intermarché, NSN Cycling Team, Team Jayco AlUla, XDS Astana Team, Cofidis, Euskaltel - Euskadi and MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort. The biggest name is Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step), coming off a high-level season. Soudal also fields Steff Cras, Laurenz Rex, Martin Svrček, Dries Van Gestel and Warre Vangheluwe. Alpecin - Premier Tech responds with Kaden Groves, Jensen Plowright, Jonas Rickaert, Tobias Bayer, Gal Glivar and Oscar Riesebeek. Lotto Intermarché relies on Milan Menten, Lionel Taminiaux, Sébastien Grignard, Matthew Fox, Joshua Giddings and Baptiste Veistroffer. NSN Cycling Team presents Alexey Lutsenko, Ryan Mullen, Oded Kogut, Moritz Kretschy, Nadav Raisberg and Rotem Tene. Jayco AlUla has a solid block with Luke Plapp, Dries De Bondt, Dries De Pooter, Paul Double, Patrick Gamper and Jasha Sütterlin. Astana fields Max Kanter, Nicola Conci, Yevgeniy Fedorov, Lev Gonov, Arjen Livyns, Harold Martín López and Haoyu Su. Cofidis relies on Milan Fretin, Piet Allegaert, Emanuel Buchmann, Simon Carr, Camille Charret and Jan Maas. Completing the picture are Euskaltel - Euskadi with Gotzon Martín, Xabier Berasategi, Xabier Isasa, Hodei Muñoz and Gari Ugarte, and MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort with Christian Bagatin and Mirko Bozzola. The protagonists' season The most in-form rider is undoubtedly Paul Magnier: the Frenchman won the Binche - Chimay - Binche / Mémorial Frank Vandenbroucke and collected notable stage placings at the CRO Race (3rd in stage 6, 1st in stage 5, 2nd in stage 1) and at the Okolo Slovenska / Tour de Slovaquie (3rd in stage 4). Magnier claimed victory at Binche-Chimay-Binche, one of the late-season Belgian classics, confirming himself as one of the most interesting talents on the international scene — source: registered riders' results history Among the sprinters, Max Kanter (XDS Astana) took a win at the Gooikse pijl p/b Lotto and shone at the Tour de France 2026 with 4th in stage 21, 7th in stage 12, 9th in stage 8 and 4th in stage 7. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) won a stage at the TPC en Nouvelle-Aquitaine (stage 4) and placed 3rd at the Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie and 7th at the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello Q36.5) won the Veenendaal - Veenendaal and was 2nd at the Grand Prix d'Isbergues - Pas de Calais and 5th at the GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord. Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto Intermarché) podiumed at the Binche - Chimay - Binche (3rd) and at Paris-Chauny (2nd). Among the breakaway specialists and puncheurs, Alexey Lutsenko (NSN) won the road race at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games Cycling - Road and placed 4th in stage 12 and 7th in stage 7 at the Vuelta a España. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana) was 2nd in the same Asian event and scored placings at the Vuelta. Jensen Plowright (Alpecin) took 2nd in a stage of the PostNord Tour of Denmark (stage 2) and 3rd at the Arno Wallaard Memorial. Joshua Giddings (Lotto Intermarché) won a stage at the Tour of Taihu Lake (stage 1) and placed 2nd in stage 4, 4th in stage 3 and 5th in stage 2. Nadav Raisberg (NSN) won the National Road Championships - Israel and a stage at the O Gran Camiño - The Historical Route (stage 4). The favourites for victory In light of the season's results, Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) is the number one favourite: his win at Binche and placings at the CRO Race put him a step above his rivals. Behind him, Max Kanter (XDS Astana) is the most concrete threat for a sprint finish, thanks to his win at the Gooikse pijl and placings at the Tour de France. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) is another rising sprinter, with his win in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and podium at the GP de Wallonie. Watch out also for Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello Q36.5), winner at Veenendaal, and Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto Intermarché), fresh from the podium at Binche. Among the outsiders, Alexey Lutsenko (NSN) could exploit a more selective course, while Jensen Plowright (Alpecin) and Joshua Giddings (Lotto Intermarché) are ready to surprise. The race promises to be open: the WorldTour teams present will control to set up a sprint, but the presence of breakaway specialists like Lutsenko and Fedorov could animate the race. Without data on distance and elevation, any scenario remains possible.