13th Tour of Hainan wraps with Lyu Xianjing wins best Asian rider

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The 13th Tour of Hainan cycling race concluded in the northern Danzhou city on Wednesday, where it was launched eight days ago. Chinese young road cyclist, Lyu Xianjing of Team Hengxiang, won the awards of King of the Mountains and best Asian rider for the tournament.

Simon Pellaud of the Swiss national team brilliantly won the final stage, while Italian Fausto Masnada of Androni Giocattoli sealed the overall win for the Tour.

The final stage of 13th Tour of Hainan, Changjiang – Danzhou, northwest of the Chinese mainland island province of Hainan, October 31, 2018. /VCG Photo

The tournament is jointly hosted by the State General Administration of Sports and the Hainan provincial government, consisting of nine stages, with a total length of 1,431 kilometers.

Twenty-one teams joined the event, including seven intercontinental professional organizations, 12 intercontinental groups and two national teams from Switzerland and Croatia. The total award achieved around 350,000 US dollars.

Lyu Xianjing wins two shirts representing King of the Mountains (Dots) and best Asian rider (Blue) for the 2018 Tour of Hainan in Danzhou, northwest of the Chinese mainland island province of Hainan, October 31, 2018. /VCG Photo

The 20-year-old Lyu was an absolute rookie before this tournament as his major was in mountain biking. He gained King of the Mountains and the best Asian rider titles for several stages and finished fifth overall – an astonishing achievement in his first ever international road race.

"Nine days before, when I arrived in Hainan, I had little idea about the road cycling event. Through the contest, I accumulated a lot of experience which will benefit my future training and competition." Lyu said.

Lyu Xianjing competes during the men's cross-country event for cycling mountain bike in the 2018 Asian Games to win the silver medal, Indonesia, August 21, 2018. /VCG Photo

Came from Team Hengxiang based in Shandong Province, where another world class rider Wang Meiyin used to serve, the youngster from Yunnan Province bagged a silver medal in cycling mountain bike at the 2018 Asian Games.

"Although my area is mainly in the mountain bike, now, I look forward to having good professional performance in both cycling mountain bike and road." Lyu also thanks his coach and teammates for their help.

"If there is some top-notch cycling team would like to sign me now, I don't agree as I think my ability doesn't measure up." Lyu added, "I'd like to learn more till one day to find a proper chance to be in."

(With inputs from Xinhua News Agency)