Russian cyclist Stanlov Nikitam wins 2016 Maritime Silk Road Ring of Quanzhou Bay International Road Cycling Race

As the sole top international competition around the world that is meant to celebrate the Maritime Silk Road culture and the highest-level single sports event that has ever been held in Quanzhou, the race attracted over 100 professional cyclists from 15 teams as well as nearly 10,000 riding hobbyists, and became one of the few cycling races worldwide that includes sections that run along the open ocean, a bay, through mountains and along city roads within one cycling route.

As the sole top international competition around the world that is meant to celebrate the Maritime Silk Road culture and the highest-level single sports event that has ever been held in Quanzhou, the race attracted over 100 professional cyclists from 15 teams as well as nearly 10,000 riding hobbyists, and became one of the few cycling races worldwide that includes sections that run along the open ocean, a bay, through mountains and along city roads within one cycling route.

The three-day, 337-kilometer, event was divided into three stages, with the first following a course through green and environmentally protected areas, the second following a route around Quanzhou Bay and along the open sea and the third following a route around the city of Quanzhou.

In addition to the professional hobbyists in the race, nearly 10,000 riding hobbyists from around the world participated in the second stage of the race, on October 15, 2016, and were able to experience the thrill that the professionals feel when they join such a competition. The hobbyists were led by several notables, including Gong Jinjie, the first Chinese cyclist to win an Olympic gold medal, Deng Wei, a Chinese weightlifter who clinched the gold medal in women's 63kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Liu Yongshi, a member of the Chinese National Women's Foil Team, Lin Chaopan, a Chinese gymnast who won the bronze medal in men's artistic gymnastics team at the Rio Olympics, Chen Haiwei, a member of the Chinese National Men's Foil Team and Xu Zhihua, CEO of FuJian Quanzhou Peak Sport Products.

Gong Jinjie said, "By leading this ride, I have gotten a new understanding of Quanzhou, a Chinese city which has been crowned an 'East Asia Cultural City' and where the Maritime Silk Road starts. With plenty of historic sites and breathtaking natural views, the ancient city is set to become a paradise for riding fans."

This year's race was managed by Peak Sport, a Chinese company focusing on the production of sporting goods. The company, by taking on the management role for the competition, see its participation as a critical step towards the company's transformation from a sports product manufacturer into a full-fledged sports industry group.

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20161017/0861610652