Bicycling isn't just for the pros. Yanqing has thousands of amateur cyclists and a number of cycling clubs in both urban and rural areas. Provided to China Daily

The first Badaling Great Wall Cup - Beijing International Cycling Tour Festival will begin on June 18, in Yanqing county, to the northwest of the city. More than 5,000 competitors and cycling lovers from around the world are expected for the event.

Hosts of the event are the Beijing Sports Bureau, Beijing Sports Federation, and Yanqing county government. The theme is "leisure fitness, green commuting".

It will have both touring and racing events.

The 20-kilometer touring event starts and ends at Guichuan Plaza and passes the Wanmu Riverside Forest Park. At least 3,000 riders are expected for this part.

The races include mountain bike and road bike races. The men's road bike event covers 60 km, while the women's event is 45 km long. Both the men's and women's mountain bike races cover 45 km. Around 500 competitors are expected for these.

They pass through some of Yanqing's major attractions, such as the Songshan National Nature Reserve, Yudu Mountain, and Longqing Ravine.

Yanqing is on China's list of top 10 tourist counties and has natural beauty, various tourist attractions, and convenient transportation. Some enthusiasts consider its environment and location to be ideally suited for cycling.

The county was the site of the Good Luck Beijing Cycling tests in 2007, and the Beijing Olympic cycling race the following year, and some cyclists and media personnel said the Badaling bike track was among the world's most beautiful.

Since then, many cyclists have made the trek to Yanqing, and many professional teams do their training there, shining a light on the cycling industry.

The sport has even become popular with locals and the county has thousands of amateur cyclists and a number of cycling clubs in both urban and rural areas.

Last year, the local government designed eight cycling paths with 11 special routes, running 256 km in all. These are designed so that they run through countryside tourist attractions and alongside orchards and hotels.

The county also has a bicycle rental system with more than 30 stations and 2,000 bikes, many of them mountain bikes.

The authorities plan to improve the cycling facilities under the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), and are talking of 35 service centers and 11 tourist service centers. There will also be rest areas every three to five km.

(China Daily 06/09/2011)