2025 Tour of Sayram Lake concludes in Xinjiang

Cyclists in the fifth stage of the Tour of Sayram Lake in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 4, 2025. (Handout via Xinhua)

Team BATTLE dominated the 2025 Tour of Sayram Lake, sweeping the podium and clinching the overall and team titles after five challenging stages across Xinjiang.

URUMQI, China, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The 17th edition of the Tour of Sayram Lake concluded Wednesday in Xinjiang's Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, with riders from Team BATTLE sweeping the podium.

The five-day race began on May 31 in Jinghe County and featured five stages that passed through Alashankou City, Bole City and Wenquan County before culminating in a scenic loop around Sayram Lake.

Covering a total distance of 435 kilometers, the tour drew more than 70 teams and over 380 cyclists from across China and abroad.

Cyclists in the fifth stage of the Tour of Sayram Lake in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 4, 2025. (Handout via Xinhua)

The final stage took riders around Sayram Lake, one of China's most popular alpine scenic spots, spanning 86.77 kilometers. The stage also marked the debut of a women's race, alongside an amateur cycling event for road bike enthusiasts.

Russian cyclist Vladislav Gutovskii of Team BATTLE secured overall victory with a total time of nine hours, 56 minutes and 36 seconds. His teammates, Uladzislau Yarash of Belarus and Kirill Kapustin of Russia, finished second and third, respectively.

BATTLE also topped the team standings after five stages, followed by FreeNova-UpVine and Magene-TREK. Veteran rider Paolo Toto of FreeNova-UpVine won the points classification, with Lu Shaoxuan of Bryton Racing Team and Gutovskii rounding out the top three.