The press conference for the 2013 Tour of China International Road Cycling Race was held yesterday afternoon in Beijing. The event will take place from September 13 to 30, with the finish line remaining in Tianjin—this being the fourth consecutive year that this international cycling competition has concluded in the city. Additionally, the press conference officially renamed the race’s abbreviation from “环中赛” (Huan Zhong Sai) to “环中国” (Huan Zhong Guo).
Since its inception, the Tour of China International Road Cycling Race has always started in Xi'an, but each edition has taken different routes through various provinces and cities before reaching the final destination, Tianjin. Continuing this tradition, the 2013 Tour of China International Road Cycling Race has once again introduced a brand-new route, beginning in Xi'an's Ba River District. After two days of flat-stage racing, the race enters Sichuan Province, where riders will tackle climbing and flat stages in Dujiangyan, Pengzhou, and Deyang. The first stage concludes after two decisive high-difficulty climbing stages in Banan, Chongqing, and Zunyi, Guizhou. Following a brief rest and relocation, the second stage of the Tour of China will unfold in Hunan Province, featuring mainly flat stages. After competitions in Changsha and Yueyang, the race moves into Hubei Province, where stages in Xiangyang, Zaoyang, and Wuhan will be held before transitioning to Tianjin. The second stage—and also the final stage of the entire 2013 Tour of China—will be the Tianjin Tuanbo New Town West Section. Overall, from the opening stage on September 13 to the closing stage on September 30, the 2013 Tour of China will span 18 days, passing through five provinces (Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Hubei) and two municipalities (Chongqing and Tianjin), covering a total of 12 stages to complete the 2013 Tour of China journey.
A total of 22 professional cycling teams from around the world will compete in this edition of the race. Among these 22 teams, there are 11 from Europe, 9 from Asia, and 2 from the Americas.