Diplomats to invigorate cycling race series

The Belt and Road Diplomats Cycling Series press conference on August 23, 2023 Photo: Coutesy of the organizers

 The Belt and Road Diplomats Cycling Series will kick off on September 10 in Guigang, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, organizers said on Wednesday. Diplomats, mostly from Southeast Asian countries, are expected to participate in the three-race tournament.

"More than 100 diplomats and overseas students are expected to participate in the opening race in Guigang," Sun Weimin, a vice chief of China's cycling authority, said at a press briefing, adding the invitation for the diplomats race is still ongoing. 

The competition in Guangxi will feature diplomat teams, men's and women's races as well as family races, organizers said. 

The men's events have proved widely popularity, as the registration reached capacity in just one day, as the organizers noted.

Special events in connection with Guigang's clean energy electric vehicle industry will also take place as an electric bicycle race will also be held, offering athletes and spectators a fresh experience. 

All forms of competition are conducted in a circuit race format with distances ranging from 10 to 60 kilometers.

Guigang, a strategic city in the Pearl River-Xijiang Economic Belt, is considered a convenient gateway for the eastern outbound route in the South and Southwest China regions. 

Guangxi is also considered a communication hub with Southeast Asian countries for China as it is geographically close to the region, attracting many foreign investments and overseas students from Southeast Asian countries.

The race will continue to tour in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province in September, before culminating in Beijing in mid-October. 

"We've been preparing for the tournament for three years," Yuan Xiangyang, a senior official with the cycling governing body, told the Global Times. 

"We hope, by hosting such a tournament, we can facilitate communication among people from different countries," Yuan said.

Yuan added that though China has a huge population of bike riders, it is not a powerhouse in competitive sports. China bagged only eight medals in cycling in its 636 medal haul at the Olympic Games.

He noted that some diplomats have already developed a strong competitive cycling background, which he hopes they can introduce to Chinese participants.