On October 12, the 2025 Tour of Mentougou International Road Cycling Race commenced with fervor at the Mentougou District Sports and Culture Center. Upgraded to a UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) 2.2-level event on the Asia Tour, the race, themed "Fashionable Western Beijing, Cycling Mecca," promises three consecutive days of high-level competitive spectacle for a global audience. The event serves as a window to fully display the ecological beauty, historical charm, and modern urban image of Mentougou, the Western Beijing Blessed Land.
UCI Certification Elevates Event Status to New Heights
As a key initiative for Mentougou to build its "Northern Cycling" brand, this event has achieved a significant upgrade, officially joining the ranks of the UCI Asia Tour. This establishes it as an important venue for professional teams to compete for international ranking points. According to organizers, the race attracted 20 top professional teams and a total of 105 riders from over 10 countries and regions, including China, Spain, and Italy. The course is divided into a 121 km Mountain Stage, a 117 km Urban Criterium Stage, and a 115.2 km Endurance Stage. The course design deeply integrates Mentougou's mountainous topography, covering the classic climbing section of Miaofengshan—a "Northern Cycling Mecca"—alongside flat sections that test team tactics. It not only offers an excellent platform for riders to showcase their strength but also acts as a moving scroll of the scenic mountains and waters of the Western Beijing Blessed Land.
At 9:30 AM, with the sound of the starting gun, the professional riders set off from the Mentougou Sports and Culture Center, passing through sections like Jinping South Street, Tanwang Road, and Miaofengshan Road before reaching the finish line at Tianzhuang Village. After more than three hours of fierce contention, Carlos GARCIA PIERNA of the Spanish Continental team Burgos Burpellet BH ultimately claimed the Stage One victory, achieving the impressive feat of winning three jerseys in one race and becoming the biggest winner of the opening day. The White Jersey for the Best Asian Individual went to KEE Zhe Yie of the Malaysian National Team.
A Cycling Carnival for All Ignites Urban Sporting Passion
Adhering to the philosophy of "promoting fitness through competition and boosting tourism through competition," this year's event transcends the boundary of a singular competitive race, upgrading into a sports and culture festival for public participation. This ensures that the vitality of the Western Beijing Blessed Land benefits every participant. Running concurrently with the professional race, the organizing committee hosted the Men's and Women's Road Open Criterium, Mass Fitness Cycling Tours, and Children's Pump Track Strider Bike Race, complemented by thematic activities such as a bicycle brand exhibition and virtual cycling races. These attracted nearly 3,000 domestic and international cycling enthusiasts, general citizens, and family groups, achieving coverage across all participation levels. The Outdoor Lifestyle Market gathered specialty foods and creative cultural products unique to Western Beijing, allowing citizens to immersively experience the local flavor and modern style of the Western Beijing Blessed Land.
The Mass Fitness Cycling Tour held on the day included two categories: the Cycling Competition Group and the Cycling Public Group. The Public Group rode a 9.1 km route, while the Competition Group challenged a long-distance 43.7 km climbing ride, offering a profound sense of the cycling charm of the Western Beijing Blessed Land. "Mentougou has several must-ride routes for cycling enthusiasts. I was able to experience the classic racecourse today thanks to the event. I can feel the vitality of cycling here. This is a very unique and wonderful race experience, and I believe more international riders will come here to challenge themselves," commented a Canadian participant in the Cycling Competition Group.
Empowering the Regional Brand: A New Catalyst for 'Three Destinations' Construction
The event is deeply integrated with the "Western Beijing Blessed Land Mentougou" regional brand building, translating the brand essence of "Blessing of Mountains and Waters, Blessing of Culture, and Blessing of Development" into a tangible race experience. Cultural landmarks along the route, such as Tanzhe Temple and Jietai Temple, are juxtaposed with modern and technological elements like Tangu and Western Beijing Smart Valley Science Park, echoing Mentougou's cultural and tourism features of "Ancient Villages, Temples, and Trails; Blessed Mountains, Rivers, and Land," making the international tagline "Mentougou, Meant to Go!" resonate deeply.
In recent years, Mentougou District has continuously advanced the construction of its "Three Destinations" brand, actively exploring new development models for "Sports Plus." It has successfully hosted popular events such as the "Belt and Road" Countries' Diplomatic Envoys Cycling Race (Mentougou Station) and the 2025 Beijing Cycling League (Mentougou Stage). Through the integrated model of "Sports + Culture & Tourism + Commerce," cycling is moving from the professional arena into public life, effectively deepening the accessibility and utilization of Mentougou's tourism resources, injecting new momentum into regional development, and truly achieving a multi-dimensional unification of "hosting the event, building the city, boosting industry, and benefiting the public."
The 2025 Tour of Mentougou International Road Cycling Race was hosted by the Chinese Cycling Association, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, and the People's Government of Mentougou District, Beijing. It was organized by the Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Center and the Mentougou District Sports Bureau, and exclusively operated by Beijing Shizhi Shanshui Culture Communication Co., Ltd.