The 13th Tour of Qinghai Lake kicks off

Xining, capital of northwest China’s Qinghai Province, witnessed the grand opening ceremony of the 13th Tour of Qinghai Lake International Cycling Race on July 5, 2014.

The artistic performance displayed the features of Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province and the cyclists also made their appearance at the opening ceremony.

Hao Peng, governor of Qinghai Province, pointed out that Tour of Qinghai Lake International Cycling Race as the top cycling race in Asia and the highest cycling race in the world always carries forward the Olympic spirit of "higher, faster, stronger". It has embodied environmental protection, humanistic spirit and harmony since it was first held 12 years ago. He also said that Tour of Qinghai Lake International Cycling Race, as an international cycling race with plateau characteristics, strengthens the ties between Qinghai Province and the world and pushes forward the development of Qinghai Province.

Setting off from Qinghai Province, the cyclists will travel across the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, the Loess Plateau and Helan Mountain and go along the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road, the Silk Road and the Yellow River Golden Coast. This cycling race provides the cyclists with an opportunity to compete against each other, enjoy the beauty of nature and experience the unique ethnic customs. This race attracts nearly 200 cyclists from 22 teams both at home and abroad.

The cyclists will cover a distance of 3,591 kilometers when they arrive in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province on July 19. The prize money for the cycling race has been increased from 700,000 U.S. dollars to 1 million U.S. dollars, the highest among the cycling races in Asia.