2011 was a year of flourishing development for China’s cycling movement, with various large and small cycling events scattered across the country. Unlike previous years when the sport was just beginning to gain traction, in 2011, Chinese cycling reached an unprecedented level in terms of the number of events, government support, and public attention. The “Tour of China” (Tour of the China International Road Cycling Race), “Tour of the Lake” (Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race), and “Tour of the Island” (Tour of Hainan Island International Road Cycling Race) were the three flagship road cycling stage races that spearheaded the growth of cycling in China. In addition, the newly launched top-tier professional race, the “Tour of Beijing Professional Road Cycling Race,” along with the “Tour of Taihu Lake International Road Cycling Race” and the “Tour of Chongming Island Cycling Race,” provided strong support and injected powerful momentum into the development of the sport. Road cycling races, with their unique characteristics of being “popular, flowing, and smooth,” as well as their open and outdoor race settings, have become an excellent platform for showcasing urban charm and creating city branding.
More and more cities are leveraging the hosting of major road cycling events not only to fully showcase their urban appeal but also to promote local sports development, advance public fitness initiatives, and fully utilize the vital role sports play in safeguarding and improving people’s livelihoods as well as driving social progress. The enthusiasm among various regions to host such large-scale international sporting events also responds to the overall directives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, as well as the call for sports development outlined in the 12th Five-Year Plan. This contributes to the comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development of sports in China, supports the goal of building a strong sporting nation, and achieves scientific and harmonious societal development.
More and more cities are leveraging the hosting of major road cycling events not only to fully showcase their urban appeal but also to promote local sports development, advance public fitness initiatives, and fully utilize the vital role sports play in safeguarding and improving people’s livelihoods as well as driving social progress. The enthusiasm among various regions to host such large-scale international sporting events also responds to the overall directives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, as well as the call for sports development outlined in the 12th Five-Year Plan. This contributes to the comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development of sports in China, supports the goal of building a strong sporting nation, and achieves scientific and harmonious societal development.
BIKETO Tour of Beijing photo materials
In economically developed countries in Europe and North America, cycling has long been more than just a sport that promotes green, low-carbon environmental awareness—it has become a high-quality channel for interaction between citizens and their cities. World-renowned events like the century-old Tour de France or the nearly century-old Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España have long served as windows and branded events through which France, Italy, and Spain showcase their urban charm and even promote their national images. The sustained hosting of these races has indeed boosted local tourism development.
Following the overall directives of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, as well as the call to vigorously develop sports under the 12th Five-Year Plan, many cities are seeking a “win-win” path between self-promotion and sports development. In the past year, the booming development of road cycling stage races has gradually brought into focus the optimal intersection between city promotion and sporting events. As the starting city of the 2011 Tour of China, Xi’an in Shaanxi Province wrote in its year-end summary: domestic and international media focused on the ancient capital, showcasing the new face of Xi’an to the world. A commentator from the Xi’an Daily also wrote that the Tour of China served as a mobile window displaying Xi’an.
The Xi’an municipal government also stated that it would continue to deeply explore the impact of sporting events on urban development, identify the right points of integration and entry to advance both sports development and socio-economic growth, and contribute to building an international metropolis and promoting widespread public fitness by hosting more high-end sporting events. Mianyang Xianhai, as one of the stops on the 2011 Tour of China, noted in its summary: after the Tour of China, there was a noticeable increase in organizations and groups coming to (Mianyang Xianhai Scenic Area) for cycling and other outdoor activities. We will continue to strive for hosting various types of large-scale sporting events, improve infrastructure for outdoor sports activities, vigorously develop leisure sports, and cultivate distinctive tourism brands—aiming to make leisure sports enjoyable, fun, thrilling, participatory, and profitable. There are many cities like Xi’an and Mianyang, all of which see a pathway to becoming nationally and internationally renowned sports cities through hosting high-level road cycling races.
The Xi’an municipal government also stated that it would continue to deeply explore the impact of sporting events on urban development, identify the right points of integration and entry to advance both sports development and socio-economic growth, and contribute to building an international metropolis and promoting widespread public fitness by hosting more high-end sporting events. Mianyang Xianhai, as one of the stops on the 2011 Tour of China, noted in its summary: after the Tour of China, there was a noticeable increase in organizations and groups coming to (Mianyang Xianhai Scenic Area) for cycling and other outdoor activities. We will continue to strive for hosting various types of large-scale sporting events, improve infrastructure for outdoor sports activities, vigorously develop leisure sports, and cultivate distinctive tourism brands—aiming to make leisure sports enjoyable, fun, thrilling, participatory, and profitable. There are many cities like Xi’an and Mianyang, all of which see a pathway to becoming nationally and internationally renowned sports cities through hosting high-level road cycling races.
China has long been a major bicycle nation, but in terms of current cycling performance levels, it still struggles to be considered a strong cycling nation. However, it is encouraging to see that in recent years, the number of cycling enthusiasts in China has grown rapidly like wildfire. More and more cycling fans and members of the public are recognizing the athletic appeal of bicycles beyond their role as a mode of transport, joining organized or spontaneous cycling activities. With this fresh wave of cycling interest under the 12th Five-Year Plan, and as China strives to achieve its goal of becoming a strong sporting nation, road cycling races will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in urban sports development and public fitness. Let us look forward together to the blossoming spring of Chinese cycling.