La Vuelta is expanding and crossing new frontiers. The Spanish race will land in China in order to celebrate the cyclotourist event Desafío Beijing by La Vuelta, which will take place on the 17th and 18th of June and will consist of four different events, designed for all kinds of participants. In this very first edition, a historical one as it is the race’s debut in Asia, the event’s motto will be Cycling and Encountering. The aim behind it is to bring participants closer to La Vuelta, and to allow them to challenge themselves, connect with nature, discover the race’s commitment to sustainability and to discover the very best versions of themselves.
Four different events will be held over the two days of competing: a circuit race, a team time trial, a family cyclotourist event and a linear race. The Future Science City in Changping District will host all the stage departures and arrivals and some of its most emblematic streets and roads.
The circuit race, the team time trial and the family cyclotourist event will all take place on the 17th of June and are open to everyone. The first two will take place on a 5 km circuit that participants will have to complete twice in order to reach a total of 26.6 km. The family cyclotourist event, however, will consist of only one lap. Each event will be timed and all the finishers will receive a medal upon crossing the finish-line.
The linear race will be held on the 18th of June and will involve a route made up of 102.5 km, of which seven will make up the neutralised start, and 95.5 km will be for the competition itself. The route will connect colorful cultural relics and natural landscapes in Changping District, both ancient and modern, such as: the World Heritage Ming Tombs, a collection of mausoleums built by China’s Ming Dynasty emperors; picturesque Wangbai Road winding in Changping’s lush mountains which opens to riders for the first time; and the Wenyu River Green Corridor.
All of the weekend’s events will take place along roads that have been entirely closed-off to traffic in order to guarantee the safety of participants and spectators, alike. Support services such as bicycle inspection, repairs and cleaning will also be provided, as will an area with balance bikes for kids. There will also be musical, dance and other Spanish-flavor performances during the event. Some La Vuelta legends will be in attendance, including ex-riders who have left their marks on the race, and whose identities will be revealed in the coming weeks.
‘We are thrilled and very proud of the Desafío Beijing by La Vuelta that we’ll be holding in Beijing. This is a historical step for our race as, for the first time in our almost 100-year history, we will be arriving in China with a cyclotourist event bearing our name. Over the weekend of the 17th and 18th of June, we’re going to have an incredible experience that will allow us to combine the very best of Chinese and Spanish culture. Personally, I see no better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between our countries. We would like to thank the local committee for choosing cycling and, in particular, La Vuelta to bring our cultures together,’ said Javier Guillén, General Director of Unipublic.
LA VUELTA, A SHARED GLOBAL PASSION
The Desafío Beijing by La Vuelta is yet another step in the internationalisation of La Vuelta, a benchmark race that has extended its borders since its early editions when it only covered Spanish territory. Today, La Vuelta is an international event that brings together the best riders in the world and expands its prestigious victory tally with the greatest names among them. In its 2022 edition, La Vuelta had over 1,000 journalists from 28 nationalities and 298 media outlets. It also reached 190 countries and featured 18 live broadcasters.
REGISTRATIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION
For registrations and further information regarding the Desafío Beijing by La Vuelta visit the event’s official website: www.lvbeijingtour.com
