On March 25, 2018, the “Sichuan·Danling·National Rural Park Mountain Bike Challenge” was grandly held in Danling County, known as the “Hometown of Citrus and Oranges in China.” The event coincided with the county’s “Citrus and Peach Blossom Festival,” offering a diverse array of themed activities. Over 300 participants from both domestic and international locations, including Serbia and Mongolia, gathered in Danling. The exciting competition attracted tens of thousands of spectators along the route. The race was organized by the Danling County Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Government of Danling County, and hosted by Danling County Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Yuandian Beverage Co., Ltd., with exclusive operation by Shizhi Sports.
It is reported that the event was divided into a professional group and a public fitness group. The professional group was further split into men’s elite, men’s master, and women’s elite categories. The race took place on the “Bengkang Avenue,” which was built in early 2016 by Danling County to support poverty alleviation efforts. The professional group started from the Old Emei Mountain Tourist Reception Center, traveled along Bengkang Avenue through Wannian Village, Yuzhu Village, Qishan Village, Liaodian Village, Huangjin Gorge, and returned to the starting point via Renhong Road, covering a total distance of 28 kilometers with an elevation difference of 288 meters and a total climb of 635 meters, offering a moderate level of difficulty. The public fitness group covered a 5-kilometer course. The route featured beautiful scenery, with the fragrance of peach and plum blossoms in the air, and branches laden with “Juhong” oranges.
After intense competition, Serbian rider Marko Danilovic from Shenzhen Lixin CCN Cycling Team won the men’s elite group championship with a time of 55 minutes and 16 seconds. The runner-up was Bat Erdene from Mongolia, also of Shenzhen Lixin CCN Cycling Team, and the third place went to Yang Kaicheng of Maison Lan–Sichuan Universities Alliance Team. Yang Li from Yunji Bicycle–Blackheart Cycling Team claimed the men’s master group title with a time of 1 hour and 5 seconds, while the runner-up and third place were awarded to individual participants Cheng Yuanxin and Peng Bin, respectively. Su Yue from Longquan Little Cannon Cycling Team won the women’s elite group championship with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 40 seconds. The second place went to He Xiaoli of Leqi Pujiang Cycling Team, and the third to Liu Jiahui of Sichuan Guanming Racing Cycling Team. Zhu Li, Secretary of the Danling County Committee, Wang Feng, Standing Committee Member and Executive Deputy County Head of Danling County, and Xie Songtao, General Manager of Sichuan Yuandian Beverage Co., Ltd., presented awards to the winners.
Unlike other cycling events that focus solely on competition, this mountain bike challenge not only emphasized the race itself but more importantly, seamlessly integrated green cycling with poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Currently, Danling County is leveraging the “National Rural Park PPP Project” as an engine, following the strategy of “integration of primary and tertiary industries, green development, project-led initiatives, and comprehensive advancement,” aiming to build a new park-style rural area that is “industrialized, scenic, culturally rich, orderly, secure, and spirited” by 2020, achieving comprehensive rural revitalization across the board.