On September 1, the 2019 Qiansen Cup UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Elite Level 1 Aohanqi Station came to a perfect close at the Aohanqi International Cyclo-cross Race Track. The women’s elite category was won by Belgian cycling star Jolien D’Hoore, while the men’s category champion was Belgian athlete Yannick Peeters.
This prestigious event is the highest-level international professional cyclo-cross race in Asia approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). It is jointly organized by the Chinese Cycling Association, the Sports Bureau of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the People's Government of Chifeng City, and hosted by the Sports Bureau of Chifeng City and the People's Government of Aohanqi. The competition is fully operated by the Aohanqi Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau and Beijing Qiansen Sports Culture Investment Development Co., Ltd.
A Gathering of Stars Shines in Aohan
Since its debut in 2013, the Qiansen Cup Cyclo-cross has gained significant influence in the international cycling scene, attracting top riders from around the world every year. This year, nearly 100 professional athletes from 54 teams across 20 countries participated, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Russia. Among them were 10 athletes ranked within the UCI top 100 and 22 within the UCI top 200.
The field also featured numerous national champions and World Cup winners. Dutch elite rider Gosse van der Meer, 24, claimed victory in both the 2018 Qiansen Cup Aohan and Fengfeng stations. Within just one year, his UCI ranking soared from 148th to 51st, showcasing great potential. Another standout is a world No. 13 rider who has won the Spanish National Championships seven times and the Spanish Cup for four consecutive years—an enduring legend in the international cyclo-cross scene. She also won both the Aohan and Fengfeng stations last year. Additionally, Italian cycling legends and brothers Sonny Nicholas Sampagni and Lorenzo Sampagni, who have competed in China for two consecutive years, were present. Nicholas, the 2018 Italian National Champion and Slovakia Station winner, was the runner-up at last year’s Aohan Station. The brothers took second and third places respectively at the 2018 Fengfeng Station. Moreover, a host of world-class elites and rising cyclo-cross stars gathered in Aohan. With its large scale and top-tier lineup, this edition of the Qiansen Cup was truly a star-studded and high-level competitive feast.
The Wooden Bridge on the Course Blends Traditional Chinese Style
The cyclo-cross course for this station was jointly surveyed, selected, and designed by UCI Technical Delegate Mr. Biarte and engineers from the Qiansen Group. It is a closed-loop circuit, approximately 2.5 kilometers in total length, with about 600 meters of mountainous sections. The design includes two technical wooden bridges, one two-way service area, two wooden jump board obstacles, and three uphill and three downhill sections, covering surfaces such as dirt, grass, cement tiles, and asphalt. To ensure technical difficulty, the course features steep slopes and continuous rugged mountain sections right after the start, while flat sections include multiple sharp turns.
One highlight of the track is the two distinctive two-way wooden bridges, designed by Beijing Qiansen and constructed by Dalian Qiansen. They showcase the grand spatial design of traditional Chinese short-span, large-space wooden structures. One bridge has a 12-step climb where athletes must carry their bikes, followed by a 30-degree slope descent. The other is a single-arch bridge that pays homage to the elegant curves and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese bridges, mimicking a hollowed-out stone arch bridge. It not only represents classic elements of Chinese bridge design but also carries a symbolic meaning of a bridge through time and space. While meeting the technical demands of the race, the design also offers foreign athletes and coaches a unique visual experience.
Belgian Riders Take the Top Spots
At 2:00 PM on September 1, amid swirling dust and blue skies, the 2019 Qiansen Cup UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Elite Level 1 Aohanqi Station officially commenced at the Aohanqi International Cyclo-cross Race Track.
A total of 24 riders competed in the women’s elite category. Based on their first-lap performance, officials set the race distance at six laps, meaning the women would cover a total of 15 kilometers. At the sound of the starting gun, Aida, the double champion from the 2018 Aohanqi and Fengfeng stations, was off to a slow start. The lead was quickly taken by Belgian star Jolien D’Hoore. Even after falling during the race and making a bike change at the two-way service area with two and a half laps remaining, D’Hoore secured the championship with an undisputed lead of 1 minute and 46 seconds over the second-place rider. France’s Marine Pacigar finished as the runner-up, and Aida Palacio Nuno, a familiar face from previous Qiansen Cups, took third place.
The men’s race was intensely competitive. Within the first twenty meters of the start, a rider unexpectedly fell, causing a chain reaction of collisions. Positions swapped frequently in the early stages, and by the fifth lap, the top three riders were within fifteen seconds of each other, all in contention for the final sprint. Belgian rider Yannick Peeters was highly active in the first half of the race. With support from his mechanic team, he successfully switched to a replacement bike after a mechanical issue and maintained strong momentum to secure the win. In contrast, 19-year-old Belgian rookie Arno Van den Broeck—who typically competes in U23 short-course races—adopted a strategic approach. Initially lagging in sixth or seventh place, he conserved energy before unleashing a powerful final-lap sprint to claim second place. Nicolas Sampagni also faced mechanical issues, dropping to around 20th place, but thanks to his confidence and consistent pacing, he fought back to reach the podium. Gosse van der Meer, the highly anticipated double champion from the 2018 Qiansen Cup, finished fifth due to subpar form.
Using the Race as a Catalyst to Boost the Entire Banner
The host location of this event—Aohanqi—is blessed with beautiful natural landscapes and a rich historical culture. It has been hailed by renowned Chinese archaeologist Su Bingqi as “where the sun of civilization rises.” Aohanqi is the birthplace of the Chinese dragon, the origin of Chinese jade culture, the core area of the ancient Hongshan Kingdom, and the cradle of global rain-fed agriculture. The region boasts profound history, abundant specialties, stunning scenery, and a livable environment.
Aohan has always prioritized sports development. In recent years, it has hosted numerous national and international sporting events, including the 2019 Mongolian Horse Qiansen Cup International Ultra Trail Run, the China BMX Bicycle League, the Qiansen Cup UCI BMX Racing World Cup Elite Level 1, and the Qiansen Cup UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Elite Level 1. These events have yielded positive social impacts, laying a solid foundation for Aohanqi to develop a new “sports+” industry model, promote deep integration across sectors, build branded events, and cultivate a comprehensive sports industry chain.
With the successful conclusion of the 2019 Qiansen Cup UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Elite Level 1 in Aohan, the excitement continues. It has been announced that the cyclo-cross athletes will head to Fengfeng Mining District in Handan, Hebei on September 7 for another thrilling competition.