The 2010 Tour de China, the country’s first international road cycling race, began Friday with a stop in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of North China’s Hebei province.

The event, authorized by the General Administration of Sport of China, is co-sponsored by the administration’s Chinese Cycling and Fencing Administration Center and China Bicycle Association.

Starting from Xi’an, the ten-day race will stop at Huashan, Sanmenxia, Luoyang, Tai’an, and Shijiazhuang before ending in Tianjin, coving about 1,800 kilometers.

The race attracted 18 professional bicycle teams from Asia, Europe, America and Oceania and one amateur team. More than 100 cycling athletes, including the famous Hong Kong cycler Wong Kam-po, participated in the opening race and seven stage races. The event’s total awards equal $200,000. 

The Tour de China international road race will be held regularly in China in hopes of developing itself into a world-class road cycling race in five to eight years.

By Audrey and Chen Zhilin