At 9:58 a.m., as the starting gun sounded, riders rushed out of the starting line like arrows.
It was the second race of the tournament. The racing track starts from the Qin Slips Museum in Liye Town, passes through the enchanting Youshui River and Xiche River and reaches Rebala in Miao’ertan Town. The total length of the track is about 39.2 km, with the highest altitude of about 518 m and the lowest altitude of around 248 m.
The lush mountains and lucid waters as well as beautiful villages along the course constitute a picturesque scene, enabling the riders to experience the joy of riding and enjoy the visual feast of the enthralling ecological environment in Rebala.
Rebala Scenic Area in Longshan County is located in the northeast of Miao’ertan Town, a characteristic cultural and tourism town in Hunan Province. It boasts towering ancient trees and stilted wooden buildings. The primitive natural ecology, ethnic culture and historical relics are in harmonious coexistence.
“Rebala” means “a beautiful place” in the Tujia language. As an ancient Tujia village with the best-preserved Tujia culture in Wuling Mountain Area, every building in the village has its own story. As the birthplace of the Tujia brocade, it is known as “the hometown of Tujia brocade, the Chinese national culture and art”.
After fierce competition, Zheng Hengdou won the championship of Men’s Road Group with a result of 1 hour, 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Fu Shiqi won the first prize of Women’s Road Group with a result of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 26 seconds.
Relying on such scenic areas as Liye Ancient Town, Bamian Mountain and Rebala, the racing track was designed to fully display the beautiful landscapes and profound historical and cultural heritage of Longshan County. Through the mode of “sports plus culture plus tourism”, the national fitness campaign has been carried out and all-for-one tourism has been promoted in Longshan County, so as to inject new vitality into the economic and social development of the county.
