Cycling through picturesque villages and experiencing the dreamy Huangshan — The 2019 Skoda HEROS Huangshan event came to a successful close ...

From March 30 to 31, the 14th China Huangshan (Yi County) International Mountain Bike Open Race, part of the 2019 Skoda HEROS series, was held in Hongcun, Yi County, a World Cultural Heritage site in southern Anhui. The event was organized by the Anhui Provincial Sports Bureau and the Huangshan Municipal People's Government, hosted by the People's Government of Yi County, the Huangshan Municipal Sports Bureau, and Shanghai Hongjing Sports Development Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Yixian Youtu Sports Tourism Co., Ltd.

In March, Yi County boasts thousands of acres of rapeseed flower fields, presenting a breathtaking sight. Currently, 70% of the rapeseed flowers in Yi County have bloomed, and with rising temperatures in late March, the end of the month will be the best time to view them. The race route weaves together scattered scenic spots and villages, allowing participants to enjoy Yi County’s beautiful landscapes and cultural charm while competing.

This year’s Huangshan event has been significantly upgraded, with the 14th China Huangshan (Yi County) International Mountain Bike Open Race and the China Cycling Series Hongjing Fengdu Huangshan (Yi County) Station taking place consecutively. A total of 2,300 participants competed in the two Huangshan events this year, including over 60 international athletes from Spain, Germany, France, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Australia, Portugal, Italy, and Sweden.

On March 30, the mountain cross-country race featured AB courses. The A course had a single lap of 20 kilometers with a combination of off-road and uphill terrains, and included men’s/women’s open categories, as well as mixed pairs. The B course spanned 5 km with paved and rolling surfaces, featuring employee experience, youth, and parent-child relay categories. Some participants said that cycling through poetic Huizhou-style architecture and through fields of rapeseed flowers, as if butterflies were dancing on the yellow blooms, felt like an experience out of a paradise. Additionally, a children’s balance bike race was held at Hongcun School this year, where young riders competed fiercely and achieved impressive results.

The Huangshan (Yi County) International Mountain Bike Open Race is one of the longest-running mountain biking events in China. Since its inception in 2006, thirteen years of solid development have made it a renowned domestic and international classic cycling event. It is the most important amateur race in the first half of the year and also the best event for assessing riders’ form throughout the season.

It is worth mentioning that after a three-year hiatus, the Hongjing Fengdu race returned to Yi County. The “Granfondo” event from three years ago was officially renamed “Hongjing Fengdu” in 2018. The cement pothole section on the Tea Mountain Ridge road during the original Granfondo has since been repaired, and the entire course is now fully paved with asphalt, giving the track a completely renewed look. On March 31, the Hongjing Fengdu event featured six categories: U25, U35, Masters, Women, Men’s Mountain Marathon (MTB), and Women’s MTB. As a road race, the course covered a total of 84 km. After several intense rounds, the winners of each category were eventually crowned.

It is reported that the 2019 Skoda HEROS China Cycling Series – Shanghai-Chongming Station will be held on April 20. For more details, please follow the official WeChat and Weibo accounts of “HugeHEROS” cycling.