Cyclists compete in this year's Beijing International Cycling Tour in Yanqing county. Held from June 14 to 15, the race attracted 5,000 cyclists. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

On June 14 and 15, the fourth Beijing International Cycling Tour (BICT) was held in Yanqing county. The event attracted more than 5,000 cyclists of different ages who rode for both fun and competition. 

Yanqing was the site of cycling events in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and is home to a section on the Tour of Beijing, the final race of the International Cycling Union's World Tour. Aside from hosting professional races, the county has also become a modern hub for regular cyclists in the city lured by its scenic environment and rustic charm.

"Compared with previous events, the number of people cycling for leisure has grown a lot," said Dang Qiang, deputy director of the Yanqing Bureau of Sports.

This year was the first time the BICT had been held without any cyclists suffering injuries, which Dang said was partly due to better understanding and support among locals who avoided roads used by cyclists.

Situated in the northwest outskirts of Beijing, Yanqing has wide cycling lanes and a rich cycling culture villagers have fostered to grow the local economy.   

Family passion

Gao Wenlin, 58, has participated in the BICT every year since its inception. He comes to Beijing each year from his home in Huailai county, Hebei Province, to compete in the event, but this year he decided to challenge himself by competing in the tour's cross-country mountain bike race.

"The age limit for riders is 60 [in the cross-country mountain bike race]. I knew that if I didn't try, there wouldn't be much time left," said Gao.

Cycling is a passion embraced by the Gao family. Gao's daughter, Gao Min, is a former road cyclist with the national cycling team who won the 2008 Asian Road Race Championships.

Although she supports her father's hobby, she worries about the risks of competing in elite races. "She is scared to fall. Her collarbone has been broken three times in the past," said Gao Wenlin, who finished the 16-kilometer race on Sunday morning in Shuxianguan, a forest in Yanqing.

"It is very exciting to ride among the trees and climb hills," said Gao, who has cycled an average of 20 kilometers daily since 2008. Every weekend he joins a cycling club in riding more than 100 kilometers.

Gao hopes more amateurs will compete in cycling races to improve the country's reputation in the sport. "Most Chinese cyclists lag far behind many overseas cyclists. Our goal should be to popularize cycling with the masses," he said.

More than 300 cyclists competed in the road and mountain bike races of this year's BICT in Yanqing county, which has become a modern hub for cycling in the city. Photos: Cui Meng/GT

Back-to-back champ 

Sun Chengyi, a 39-year-old physical education teacher at Mudanjiang No. 1 High School in Heilongjiang Province, defended his championship in the BICT race in the 36-60 age group.

"It rained in the morning, which gave our tires good traction on the road. Several slopes and forest roads were added to increase buffers and distances between competitors this year, which made the race much safer," said Sun. "Yanqing has a very good environment for cycling. It will remain a cycling hot spot in future," he added.     

As a keen mountain biker, Sun is a veteran competitor in cycling races across the country. But a decade ago, he recalled there were only one or two races held per year.

For Sun, cycling is also a healthy way to bond with his 10-year-old son. The pair often watches cycling races and participates in leisurely weekend rides.

 

 

Photos: Cui Meng/GT

Popularity with youths

In Cheng Zitan's eyes, cycling is not just a sport for adults. The 13-year-old boy from Yanqing has established a cycling team for teens called Blue Flame. The team is a common sight in Yanqing most weekends, wearing yellow, blue and red shirts as they ride in a tight pack.

As youngsters born and bred in Yanqing, their familiarity of the local area gave them an edge in the BICT. Five of its members joined nearly 3,000 other cyclists in the leisure race of this year's tour, which was won by Wu Zheng, 13, who completed the 12-kilometer course in just 15 minutes.  

"Cycling has developed sluggishly among teens due to their heavy study burden, lack of support from parents and safety concerns," said Cheng, who started the team in July 2013 with over 40 students aged between 12 and 16.

The local government has built eight cycling routes throughout the county, including the Guihe Ecological Corridor that spans 70 kilometers and circles the Guihe waterway.

In total, cycling lanes cover 300 kilometers countywide and there are 30 rental spots along routes that provide 2,000 bicycles.  

At the peak cycling season of summer, Blue Flame's cyclists ride for 20 kilometers to the Badaling section of the Great Wall each night and around the Guihe waterway each morning. Every month they will take several trips, each covering more than 100 kilometers, to mountainous areas of Yanqing.

Surging tourism growth

Dang said the main purpose of the BICT is for "cycling to set up a stage to promote tourism" as the county strives to cement its reputation as a "cycling paradise." 

In addition to the Great Wall, Yanqing's cycling routes also take visitors to scenic sites including the Wild Duck Lake National Wetland Park, Xiadu Park, Guishui Park and Binhe Forest Park. All provide a picturesque backdrop for cycling, which has been combined with other tourist attractions including folk culture villages and pick-it-yourself farms to broaden the county's appeal to tourists.  

In 2012, the county attracted around 50,000 cycling tourists who generated revenue worth 1.88 million yuan ($302,000). The following year, around 100,000 cycling tourists generated revenue worth 2.56 million yuan. In the first half of 2014, around 50,000 cycling tourists have generated revenue worth 1.61 million yuan, according to statistics provided by the Yanqing Tourism Committee. 

"The biggest joys of cycling are challenging yourself and seeing different people and scenery," said Zhao Anjun, a 23-year-old cyclist from Hebei Province who competed in this year's BICT.

"The success of cycling in Yanqing is just a microcosm of the sport's rise in China. Not long ago, few people could fathom spending tens of thousands of yuan on a bicycle, but now it is very common. Cycling has become a part of many people's lives."