Tour of Beijing - World Tour - Say what?

[craig1985]

I walked along the Great Wall (in the not so touristy area), and yeah it's steep enough. The road surface is pretty good. I enjoyed China, but geez the pollution is very bad, not sure about racing there.

 

[L'arriviste]

I walked along the Great Wall (in the not so touristy area), and yeah it's steep enough. The road surface is pretty good. I enjoyed China, but geez the pollution is very bad, not sure about racing there.

Was that Juyongguan? Tough landscape indeed.

That's where I went when I was there. Tourists do go but it's mostly the Chinese. Almost all foreigners go to Badaling.

Juyongguan is also where the 2008 Olympic Road Race finished.

 

[theyoungest]

I walked along the Great Wall (in the not so touristy area), and yeah it's steep enough. The road surface is pretty good. I enjoyed China, but geez the pollution is very bad, not sure about racing there.

Did you watch the Olympics? That was a pretty entertaining race. And a very climby one.

 

[Bala Verde]

I liked the Olympics road race too, great scenery, hilly and all in all a great race. Unfortunately IIRC there were not many spectators on the side of the roads.

re Pollution and according to Wiki:

Pollution issues

Prior to the opening of the Games, the International Olympic Committee was keen to play down the risk that athletes faced from pollution; however, the organizing body considered re-scheduling of endurance events (such as the cycling road race) if the pollution levels were too high.[9] Athletes partaking in these events can consume 20 times the amount of oxygen as a sedentary person. A higher level of pollution in the air could adversely affect performance, damage or irritate an athlete's lungs, or exacerbate respiratory conditions, such as asthma.[10]

Independent sources showed that pollution levels were above the limit deemed safe by the World Health Organization on August 9.[11][12][13] However, the cycling event went ahead as scheduled with no objections from the athletes. Fifty-three of the 143 cyclists pulled out during the race; however, this is not unusual (over half withdrew mid-race at the 2004 Summer Olympics). Post-race, a number of riders highlighted the punishing conditions, in particular the heat (26 °C/79 °F) and humidity (90%), which were much higher than in Europe, where the majority of UCI ProTour races are held. Pollution, however, was not widely cited as a problem,[14][15] though Stefan Schumacher of Germany, who had been considered an outside favorite for victory in the event, said the elements and the pollution played a role in his withdrawal.[16]

 

[spalco]

Is this for 2011-2012 calendar? If this is true... it can be funny, even too funny. But why only Beijing? It must be Tour of China, 3 month long with some uphill finishes at Himalayas, maybe Everest Base Camp?

Hehe, in the Himalayas they could probably make a 3 week GT with days alternating between 200km uphill - 200km descent - 200km "sprinter's" stage pan flat, but on 4000m above sea level. That would be epic.
Or make it a 1 week race but only uphill every day.

 

[Michele]

Qinghai Lake Tour already do that.

 

[The Hitch]

Did you watch the Olympics? That was a pretty entertaining race. And a very climby one.

Dont you read Pistoleros posts? Cancellara came second. Hence it was flat.

 

[craig1985]

Was that Juyongguan? Tough landscape indeed.

That's where I went when I was there. Tourists do go but it's mostly the Chinese. Almost all foreigners go to Badaling.

Juyongguan is also where the 2008 Olympic Road Race finished.

We went to West Simatai (as Simatai is shut), and it was a 6km walk.

Did you watch the Olympics? That was a pretty entertaining race. And a very climby one.

Beijing is pretty flat, get out of the city and it isn't.

 

[El Pistolero]

Dont you read Pistoleros posts? Cancellara came second. Hence it was flat.

If you watched the race he got dropped on the climbs and chased to the leading group in the not so hilly part. He came third by the way

 

[taiwan]

Tour of Beijing - World Tour - Say what?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Michele]

Funny to see ASO now friend as never before with UCI for Tour of Bejing.

 

[luckyboy]

Profile looks pretty boring. Prologue, sprint, hills, sprint, sprint. EBH/Hushovd suited.

Why did it just jump straight to the WorldTour? At least the other expansion races were run at a lower level first/some still are 2.HC/2.1.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Profile looks pretty boring. Prologue, sprint, hills, sprint, sprint. EBH/Hushovd suited.

Why did it just jump straight to the WorldTour? At least the other expansion races were run at a lower level first/some still are 2.HC/2.1.

Because they knew nobody would turn up if they didn't have to at the end of a long season like this - Tour of Hainan fields were hardly ever strong. Most of the regional sponsors don't have much interest out there, only the global ones. Races at the start of the season, fine, people want to get the miles in, and in the middle of the season yes, for the teams that have a sponsor interest (note how the teams with no US interest don't do California, or didn't do Missouri or Georgia). But at the end of the season it's harder to get that world class field.

 

[craig1985]

I was in Beijing a few weeks back, flatsville if there ever was one.

Guess I was right with the profile's with the stages in Beijing.

 

[the asian]

It's essential that this race becomes succesful and becomes a regular world tour race for the future success of Cycling. With the economic decline of European Countries ( The traditional heartland of cycling), cycling must be popularized in the new economic pwerhouses. China is the easisiest country, rather than India and Brazil. So the success of the Tour of Beijing will shape the future of Cycling.

 

[El Pistolero]

It's essential that this race becomes succesful and becomes a regular world tour race for the future success of Cycling. With the economic decline of European Countries ( The traditional heartland of cycling), cycling must be popularized in the new economic pwerhouses. China is the easisiest country, rather than India and Brazil. So the success of the Tour of Beijing will shape the future of Cycling.

Have you seen the economic growth of Germany and its surrounding countries?

 

[the asian]

Have you seen the economic growth of Germany and its surrounding countries?

German Economic Growth was 1.5% in the first quarter of 2011. Compared with China, India and Brazil all over 6%, it's nothing. Germany is doing the best form the Europen Countries but surely no rational person will argue against the fact that Asia annd Brazil are the new Economic Powerhouses. Other major sports such as Formula 1, Moto GP, Golf and Tennis have imporatant events in Asia. Cycling has lagged behind in this instance. So the success of The tour of Beijing the first world tour event in Asia will be very important.

 

[the asian]

Dont you read Pistoleros posts? Cancellara came second. Hence it was flat.

The top 5, before suspensions were Sammy, Rebellin, Cancellara, Kolobnev And Andy Schleck. Other than Cancellara others were hilly Classics/GC riders. I watched the race and as mentioned in another post, Canc was dropped on the hills and he only joined the leading group towards the end. you can hardly call the race a flat race, even though the finish wasn't uphill. I also remember Andy Schleck doing lot of work in the climbs but he did not even try to the sprint and win a medal. I don't think Luxembourg has ever won an Olympic medal, and he had a fine chance, but he made no effort. Even if he was fourth he would have been later awarded a medal coz rebellin tested positive.

 

[aahmadhu]

German Economic Growth was 1.5% in the first quarter of 2011. Compared with China, India and Brazil all over 6%, it's nothing. Germany is doing the best form the Europen Countries but surely no rational person will argue against the fact that Asia annd Brazil are the new Economic Powerhouses. Other major sports such as Formula 1, Moto GP, Golf and Tennis have imporatant events in Asia. Cycling has lagged behind in this instance. So the success of The tour of Beijing the first world tour event in Asia will be very important.

says the guy who ignores cycling tradition.. the future of cycling lies in beijing?? pfftt..

 

[the asian]

Cycling being popular only in Europe will not help it's future in any way. It has to be popuar in areas away form the traditional heartland. Any idea why sports such as F1, Motor GP, Tenns, Golf enjoy much wider and imporatnt coverage than cycling??? Because the Audience is larger and Gloabl.

 

[aahmadhu]

Cycling being popular only in Europe will not help it's future in any way. It has to be popuar in areas away form the traditional heartland. Any idea why sports such as F1, Motor GP, Tenns, Golf enjoy much wider and imporatnt coverage than cycling??? Because the Audience is larger and Gloabl.

until asian riders starting to break through the pro ranks big time, i don't see it happening, no matter how optimistic it looks. the only non-european riders who are making their marks at the higest level are the australians and the americans, who by the way, really deserve a world tour event of their own (apart from the TDU). the only asian riders who are who're making big shows are those from kazakhstan, with all due respect to yukiya arashiro n fumiyuki beppu.

 

[the asian]

until asian riders starting to break through the pro ranks big time, i don't see it happening, no matter how optimistic it looks. the only non-european riders who are making their marks at the higest level are the australians and the americans, who by the way, really deserve a world tour event of their own (apart from the TDU). the only asian riders who are who're making big shows are those from kazakhstan, with all due respect to yukiya arashiro n fumiyuki beppu.

Yr. That's a pity. The chinese will have to be convinced pretty hard to take up road cycling. Downside is only 4 olympic Gold medals for road cycling. And there is no certainity of winning one even if you dominate the sport

 

[Michele]

By what I know China is spending a lot of money more on amateur cycling than elite/pro races around the Country and perhaps they see this new event like a chance to bring more people into bike as a healthy style of life.

 

[craig1985]

I went into several bike stores in China and all the bikes I found were either commuter or MTB. The few road bikes the shops had were downtube shifters or contained Shimano Tiagra groupsets, and this is also from walking into a shop that specialized in selling Giant (the poster they had on the wall was from when Vino rode for T-Mobile!).

I only saw one guy in all the time I was there riding a road bike.

 

[joy118118]

I went into several bike stores in China and all the bikes I found were either commuter or MTB. The few road bikes the shops had were downtube shifters or contained Shimano Tiagra groupsets, and this is also from walking into a shop that specialized in selling Giant (the poster they had on the wall was from when Vino rode for T-Mobile!).

I only saw one guy in all the time I was there riding a road bike.

you stayed here not long enough.