QILIAN, China, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Estonia's 31-year-old rider Martin Lass beat Denmark's Alexander Salby in a final peloton sprint to win the fourth stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai here on Wednesday in a photo finish.

The relatively easy stage (without grueling climbs) totaling 172.5 kilometers runs from Menyuan to Qilan, a county nicknamed "Ural (Russia) in the East" for its rich mineral resources.

Lass of the Quick Pro Team, who is strong in sprint but finished only 15th in the event's first stage around Qinghai provincial capital of Xining, won the fourth stage here in 3 hours 43 minutes and 18 seconds.

Lass said: "I expected more in the first stage but messed up. Today, I was lucky and super happy to win."

Referring to the final peloton sprint, Lass attributed his success to his teammates' support, which helped him break away.

He also extended his heartfelt thanks to the local crowd along the route, saying, "I feel super nice to get such a huge support in a race far from my hometown."

27-year-old Salby of the Li-Ning Star Team, who won the third stage on Tuesday but finished second on Wednesday, also sang highly of the teamwork, saying, "I think, probably we are the best continental team here."

"We trust each other. Today, there are a lot of corners and downhills, but we managed it super well and the team support helped me in an easy position to break away," added Salby who got the stage's Green Jersey as the best sprinter.

Swiss rider Simon Pellaud, also from the Li-Ning Star Team, has claimed the Polka Dot Jersey as the best climber in three straight stages. He said, "Today is a slightly easier day, but tomorrow will be difficult. We will see who can survive."

Thursday's fifth stage covers 168.7 kilometers from Qilian to Gangcha, including two steep ascents - one is a 29-km ride from the starting point to the Dadongshu Mountain with a climb from 2,700m to 3,818m and the other is a 20-km ride from the Datong River Bridge to the Hetal Mountain with a climb from 3,400m to 3,869m.

Uruguay's Guillermo Thomas Silva, who grabbed the Yellow Jersey from Spain's Manuel Penalver after winning the grueling second stage, kept topping the general individual classification in the third and fourth stages with a cumulative time of 15:22:41.

Iran's Saeid Safarzadeh of the local Tianyoude Hotel Cycling Team, who had been awarded the Blue Jersey as the best Asian rider in the second and third stages, maintained the honor in the fourth stage.

Tianyoude has kept the Blue Jersey after the first four stages, as its another rider Hasan Seyfollahifard, also from Iran, won the glory in the first stage.

Formerly known as the Tour of Qinghai Lake, the event was rebranded this year as the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai. Since its inception in 2002, it has become one of Asia's premier high-altitude road races, known for its diverse terrain and average elevation of 3,000 meters.

The 2025 edition includes eight stages totaling 1,400 kilometers and features more than 150 professional riders from 11 countries and regions. The race runs through July 13.