The six-stage race is set to feature a mixture of inexperienced youngsters and more experienced riders looking to end their seasons on a high.

All 18 World Tour teams will take part in the event, which was only created last year.

The winner will receive 300 points with Yates currently top of the overall pile on 3,072.

Only Slovakia's triple road world race champion Peter Sagan could have caught him, but neither will start in China to hand the Vuelta a España champion the title.

Riders featuring this week include Colombia's Rigoberto Uran and Italy's Gianni Moscon, who both rode in the II Lombardia on Saturday (October 13).

Australian Richie Porte, for whom the event will be his last appearance for BMC Racing, will also take to the start-line.

Last year at the inaugural Tour of Guangxi, Tim Wellens from Belgium took the overall win for Lotto-Soudal, although he is not competing this time around.

Stage one tomorrow will start and finish in the coastal resort of Beihai, with the 107 kilometre leg undoubtedly favouring the sprinters.

Stage two's 145km course to Qinzhou is also expected to favour the sprinters, as will stage three, which will finish in the regional capital Nanning.

Stage four will supply the event's only summit finish.

The ascent is not tough enough to provoke enormous time differences, but they are expected to be large enough to decide the overall standings. 

Stage five's 212km course is the longest of the Tour and features four classified climbs.

There is 33km from the summit of the final climb at Jinzhu Hill to the finish in Guilin, so the sprinters' teams have room for manoeuvre.

The race will conclude on Sunday (October 21) with a 169km leg around Guilin, featuring a category two climb up Yanshan Hill.

Last year, Colombia's Fernando Gaviria picked up three stage wins, but just like the overall winner Wellens, he is not competing this time around.