The 2013 third edition of the Tour of Beijing International Professional Cycling Race will kick off in Beijing on October 11. Rumpf, the head of the global cycling promotion project, said the high attention and public participation the race has received over the past three years are encouraging.
According to a survey by IFM Group, the 2012 Tour of Beijing was one of the most-watched events in the Union Cycliste Internationale's World Tour. The cumulative audience for the 2012 Tour of Beijing reached 146 million, ranking fourth in the world, behind the three Grand Tours — the Tour de France (2.379 billion), Giro d'Italia (408 million), and Vuelta a España (356 million).
Rumpf said: "The high viewership of the Tour of Beijing has had a positive impact. The results of the second edition in 2012 were worth celebrating, and they also laid a solid foundation for the 2013 edition. We are pleased to see from these figures the growing interest in the Tour of Beijing. Our team has worked hard with the local organizing committee to deliver an exciting event for both riders and spectators. The final race of the season often brings an extra layer of excitement, and this year seems to be no exception."
At the same time, Rumpf also observed changes brought about by the international event among fitness enthusiasts. He said: "Every time we come to Beijing, we see more cyclists riding in the mountains. If the Tour of Beijing can encourage local citizens to adopt green fitness and cycling as a means of transport, that would be a great thing."