Ma Benzhong and his teammates take a photo under the Potala Palace in Tibet.
Tu Xingfa poses under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Samaranch once said, among the three important symbols of life on Earth—connecting people, sports, and nature—cycling is undoubtedly the most beautiful curve.
Life goes on, and so does cycling. Wherever the wheels of a bicycle speed by, there are often breathtaking sceneries and moving stories.
The Senior Cycling Team Sets a Record
An average-aged nearly 60 Hunan senior cycling team completed a remarkable 2,300-kilometer ride from Kunming to Lhasa last year in just one month. This Yunnan-Tibet journey set a national record for the oldest average age and for all team members completing the ride.
"This was not only a challenge to ourselves but also made us understand the importance of teamwork and tolerance." Ma Benzhong, 64, is the captain of this cycling team. With a deep passion for cycling and a pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, he retired from the Changsha Thermos Factory eight years ago and, together with several like-minded retired seniors, formed the Changsha Xiongfeng Cycling Team, embarking on long journeys time and again.
Long-distance riding is not reckless adventuring. Unless it rains, team members train at Yuelu Mountain every day. Every trip requires thorough preparation—routes, climate, equipment, and more must all be carefully considered. Who can go is also strictly chosen based on physical condition.
What has cycling brought? Old Ma especially introduced two teammates—70-year-old Chang Shaoqi and 58-year-old Zhou Jiehong. Chang Shaoqi, the oldest, has a mental state better than most young men thanks to years of cycling. Zhou Jiehong was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 2006, and cycling initiated her battle against the disease, also changing her fate.
Old Ma said that in 2013, the team planned to cycle around Qinghai Lake. "As long as I can still ride, I will lead everyone to keep going."
Tu Xingfa Cycles to Paris
Because of his love for cycling, a young man from Zhangjiajie got the chance to travel to France for free.
"It felt like a dream—that’s the luck cycling brought me." Reflecting on that experience, 29-year-old Tu Xingfa still feels deeply moved. On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, Tu Xingfa and 16 young people from France completed a long-distance ride from Shanghai to Beijing to cheer for the Olympics. Tu Xingfa's sincerity, friendliness, and sense of responsibility left a deep impression on them. In February 2009, he received a special gift—a French cycling friend invited him to a gathering in Paris and sponsored his travel expenses.
During the 20 days in France, Tu Xingfa cycled through several cities. He found that almost every family in France owns a bicycle, and cycling has become part of daily life. Many cycling enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with riding within their own country and have started exploring the world by bike, experiencing different cultures and landscapes.
Because of that special experience, Tu Xingfa now hosts several groups of international cyclists every year. In 2010, he took over 40 foreigners on a ride through Guangdong, Guangxi, Vietnam, and Yunnan, covering more than 4,000 kilometers in two months.
"The four-day ride from Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie is a route that foreigners particularly enjoy. There are about six groups each year, with around 30 people per group," Tu Xingfa said. Many foreigners believe Hunan has great cycling conditions, though many routes are yet to be "discovered."
Now, Tu Xingfa also holds the title of Secretary-General of the Zhangjiajie Cycling Association and runs a bicycle club. His biggest goal at the moment is to earn enough money to go back to Paris and visit his old friends.
The "One-Armed Hero" Fights Against Fate
Riding a bicycle with one hand may not be too difficult, but what kind of willpower and courage does it take to cycle the high-altitude Sichuan-Tibet Highway and then descend via the Qinghai-Tibet Highway?
In 2006, Zuo Jianqiu, a young man from Xiangtan known as the "One-Armed Hero," completed a 105-day, 11-province cycling journey from Sichuan to Tibet, then on to Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Hebei... This was Zuo Jianqiu’s first long-distance ride, using a second-hand bicycle worth just 200 yuan.
At the age of 10, Zuo Jianqiu accidentally had his right hand severed by a crushing machine and had to undergo amputation. The physical disability did not discourage Zuo Jianqiu—in fact, the competitive youngster fell in love with cycling. He said cycling gave him freedom and joy, compensated for the missing part of his life, and changed his destiny. Over the past six years, Zuo Jianqiu has cycled through 15 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. In 2011, he joined the Hunan delegation at the National Para Games. In 2012, at the age of 34, he represented the Changsha Xidesheng Cycling Club and competed against "Asia’s Cycling King" Wong Kam-po in the Hunan Lakeside Cycling Race.
Zuo Jianqiu also has a dream: to cycle around China’s borders.
■ Reporter’s Notes
The Beauty of Cyclists
Why do they fall in love with cycling? Ma Benzhong said that every journey, the unknown scenery in the distance captivates him. Tu Xingfa said cycling connects him to the wider world, and the bicycle has become his career. For Zuo Jianqiu, cycling is his way of fighting against fate, as well as a form of enjoyment, confidence, and freedom.
Whatever the reason, every rider finds happiness and joy in life through cycling. Along the way, aren’t the cyclists themselves also a beautiful sight?