Race leader Pascal Ackermann of Bora-Hansgrohe claimed his first stage win in the third Gree Tour of Guangxi as he managed to overcome the climb newly added on the circuit around Nanning. Aleksandr Riabushenko of UAE Team Emirates and Matteo Trentin of Mitchelton-Scott rounded out the podium.

The second breakaway attempt after the flag off was successful as Brian Van Goethem (Lotto-Soudal), Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo) and Nic Dlamini (Dimension Data) rode away and got one minute of an advantage after 6km of racing. The Bora-Hansgrohe team, later helped by Mitchelton-Scott, kept them on a leash with a maximum time difference of 2'55'' recorded at km 63 after the second passage on top of the hill.

Astana upped the tempo at the head of the peloton to catch the leading trio with 35km remaining. 

Guillaume Martin of Wanty-Groupe Gobert was first at the top of the climb with 5km to go but rode cautiously in the following downhill so it was a reduced peloton to contest the victory. Having passed the climb in the top 10, Ackermann was in an ideal situation to outsprint his main rival Trentin ahead of the queen stage to Nongla Temple.