According to ICU official web site, International Cycling Union delegate Charly Mottet described the Beijing route as a "true course for climbers."

"It's similar to a climbing stage on the Tour de France," said Mottet, a former top cyclist who is now a consultant for planning stages on major races.

The first 80km of the course is flat but then it becomes a circuit rising from 80m to 600m above sea level over 11km.

The 2008 Olympic road race is scheduled for August 9, the day after the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games.