TOUR OF BEIJING

2011 - 2014

02

BREAKING NEW
GROUND
g
Since its inception in 2011, the Tour of Beijin
the
for
ard
forw
step
t
fican
signi
a
been
has
globalisation of cycling.
Initially introduced as a legacy event of the
Beijing
2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Tour of
dTour
Worl
UCI
the
of
ber
mem
ted
accep
became an
of
ts
even
family and sat comfortably alongside
.
sport
global importance in world
and
Importantly, the Tour of Beijing was the first
ark
landm
a

Asia
in
only UCI WorldTour event
moment for China and the UCI.
print
The Tour of Beijing had global television,
of
ns
millio
to
age
cover
a
medi
e
and onlin
sports fans.

r
The event positioned Beijing as a sports leade
e
resqu
pictu
the
and allowed the world to see
ties.
roads and hillsides of the neighbouring coun
Through the expertise and hard work of the
g
Local Organising Committee and the Beijin
rts
Sports Bureau, in harmony with the expe
Tour
from the Tour de France and the UCI, the
to
on
ibuti
contr
ble
valua
a
of Beijing made
global cycling.

03

2015 AND BEYOND > 03

NOT JUST A
CYCLING
EXPERIENCE
ination
The Tour of Beijing was the ultimate comb
re.
of sport and cultu
nd
As cycling continues to expand its wings beyo
to
s
door
its
ed
open
China
base,
its European
al as a
a spectacular event that promoted its capit
and
ntal
onme
envir
the
global city and endorsed
.
sents
repre
g
cyclin
mes
outco
healthy living
g,
A true milestone in the globalisation of cyclin
s,
team
best
the
ered
deliv
g
Beijin
of
the Tour
tour, the
competing in the worlds premier cycling
UCI WorldTour, to Asia.
New roads and new mountains.
New fans and new markets.
New trends and new inspiration.

I THINK EVERYONE HAS

ENJOYED IT AND TAKEN
IT AS A LIFE EXPERIENCE,
NOT JUST AS A CYCLING
EXPERIENCE.
DARIO CIONI, SKY PROCYCLING

04

2015 AND BEYOND > 04

FROM THE
BEGINNING
A SUCCESS STORY
it
The Tour of Beijing created history when
be
to
Asia
in
t
even
became the first cycling
s
awarded the prestigious UCI WorldTour statu
.
2011
st
Augu
in
The culmination of twelve months work by
that
the City of Beijing and an organising team
ion,
nisat
orga
the
in
rs
featured worldwide leade
and
tion
unica
comm
,
otion
prom
,
marketing
of
broadcast of cycling events saw the staging
from
later
hs
mont
two
its inaugural edition just
October 2011.
The event was an immediate success.
the
The introduction of the Tour of Beijing to
rning
gove
the
in
step
vital
a
was
r
UCI WorldTou
g and
bodys vision to globalise the sport of cyclin
for
e
futur
t
brigh
a
has laid the foundations for
.
cycling in China
such
The Tour of Beijing also offered counties
own
their
lop
deve
to
ty
rtuni
oppo
the
ing
as Yanq
point
the
to
cycling infrastructure and strategy,
ty.
where it is now known as The Cycling Coun

05

2015 AND BEYOND > 05

CHINESE CYCLISTS
CREATING
HISTORY
Tour
Chinese cyclists are creating history and the
ss.
succe
this
to
on
ibuti
contr
a
made
of Beijing has
start
Cheng Ji became the first Chinese rider to
the
t,
even
g
cyclin
us
famo
most
s
world
in the
Tour de France, in news that made headlines
around the world.
Ji has already been a ground-breaker, after
a
becoming the first Chinese rider to start in
a
Espa
a
a
Vuelt
the
rode
he
when
Tour,
d
Gran
Giro
the
at
2013
in 2012, a feat he repeated in
dItalia.
g,
The 26-year-old, whose family live in Beijin
and
a
medi
se
Chine
of
tion
atten
captured the
g
cycling fans in 2013 at the Tour of Beijin
UCI
home
his
in
when he made his debut
WorldTour event.
f
Global Cycling Promotion director Alain Rump
of
age
cover
a
medi
se
Chine
and
l
globa
said the
Cheng Jis Tour de France participation was
grow
indicative of the potential to continue to
.
China
like
ets
mark
cycling in new
a race,
The Tour of Beijing has been more than
:
China
in
sport
e
whol
the
for
orm
platf
a
it was
the
least
not
but
teams, sponsors, fans and last
riders, Rumpf said.
de the
The Tour of Beijing has been proud to provi
front
in
shine
to
s
rider
se
opportunity for Chine
nce.
of their home crowd and a worldwide audie
in
g
cyclin
His participation has taken will take
China to a whole new level.
of
In all, 13 Chinese cyclists rode the the Tour
for
open
ys
alwa
was
tion
invita
Beijing and the
st
again
ete
comp
to
team
nal
natio
se
a Chine
inaugural
the world s best teams, as they did in the
.
2011
in
t
edition of the even

I CANNOT WAIT TO START

THE TOUR AND I HOPE TO
INSPIRE MY COMPATRIOTS
BACK HOME IN CHINA.
CHENG JI, CHINAS FIRST TOUR DE FRANCE RIDER

06

2015 AND BEYOND > 06

GLOBAL
PROMOTION
OF BEIJING
nal
Beijing needs no introduction to internatio
as
tourists, but the ability to promote the city
n
natio
desti
nal
natio
a modern and vibrant inter
the
ng
hosti
by
nced
enha
been
each year has
Tour of Beijing.
the
With television pictures broadcast around
s
globe, and the worlds best photographer
es to
capturing and distributing stunning imag
ing
bour
neigh
its
and
g
Beijin
,
wide
media world
light.
counties are presented in the best possible
e and
Just as the Tour de France promotes Franc
alia
Austr
South
the Tour Down Under promotes
nd
expa
to
ty
rtuni
oppo
the
to a global audience,
.
exists
ntial
pote
sm
touri
on the
to
Each year the course route was designed
as
showcase Beijings famous landmarks, such
Great
and
Park
pic
Olym
Tian An Men Square, the
oted,
prom
were
ights
highl
new
Wall. In addition,
s and
road
e
resqu
pictu
the
and
Li,
g
Chon
as
such
towns of Yanqing.
No other global event can provide this
opportunity.
Beijing
Cycling provided a travelling showcase of
best
s
world
the
and
areas
g
and surroundin
ding the
cyclists have taken their stories home, sprea
e.
rienc
news of Beijing as a place to expe

IT WAS WELL ORGANISED,

VERY SAFE AND WE HAVE
BEEN TREATED WELL.
I DIDNT EXPECT TO DO
SO WELL HERE.
DAVID MILLAR, GARMIN CERVELO

07

2015 AND BEYOND > 07

YANQING
THE CYCLING
COUNTY
in
Cycling has become a more fashionable sport
2008
China in recent years, especially after the
healthy
Beijing Olympic Games, which promoted
yle.
lifest
n
carbo
living and a low
t Wall
The cycling circuit at the foot of the Grea
most
s
world
the
be
to
some
by
is thought
beautiful circuit.
This was showcased in 2008 and following
the success of the Beijing Olympics, Yanqing
has branded itself The Cycling County.
For each of the four editions, Yanqing County
hosted stages of the Tour of Beijing.
itions,
The surroundings and superb cycling cond
de
provi
g,
Beijin
of
mity
proxi
the
with
ined
comb
al
ation
recre
and
the perfect location for elite
cyclist alike.
ctions
Yanqing has already provided many attra
g
cyclin
along
signs
ul
helpf
with
for cyclists,
for
routes, maps and more than 2,000 bicycles
g
cyclin
ng
maki
,
spots
rent at some 30 different
one.
every
for
t
more convenien
ing
To further the cause, the Bike Ride in Yanq
cyclists
5,000
drew
2014
in
and
grow
to
continues
from Beijing and abroad.
ing
According to statistics provided by the Yanq
cted
attra
ty
Coun
the
Tourism Committee, in 2012
rated
gene
who
sts
touri
g
cyclin
around 50,000
wing
revenue worth 1.88 million yuan. The follo
rated
gene
sts
touri
year, around 100,000 cycling
revenue worth 2.56 million yuan.

08

2015 AND BEYOND > 08

THE SUCCESS OF CYCLING

IN YANQING IS JUST A
MICROCOSM OF THE
SPORTS RISE IN CHINA.
NOT LONG AGO, FEW
PEOPLE COULD FATHOM
SPENDING TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF YUAN ON
A BICYCLE, BUT NOW IT IS
VERY COMMON. CYCLING
HAS BECOME A PART OF
MANY PEOPLES LIVES.
ZHAO ANJUN, A 23-YEAR-OLD CYCLIST FROM
HEBEI PROVINCE. GLOBAL TIMES 18TH JUNE 2014

BEIJING
CYCLING
Old versus New
The old saying China is the land of bicycles
could not have rung more true than in the
were
1980s. To foreigners the streets of Beijing
a daunting prospect, but to the eight of every
ary
ten Beijingers who rode a bike as their prim
life.
daily
al
norm
was
it
mode of transport,
As cars grew in popularity and became an
gers
indicator of wealth, the number of Beijin
port
using a bike as their primary mode of trans
dropped to two in ten.
the
But with the Chinese economic boom came
an
it
with
and
,
bikes
road
ty
availability of quali
sport
a
as
g
cyclin
for
on
passi
and
ion
eciat
appr
ly a
and recreational activity, rather than pure
mode of transport.
its
And as the government works to rebuild
ging.
emer
is
re
cultu
new
a
re,
cycling cultu
Beijing,
On each preparation visit for the Tour of
are
g
Beijin
of
irts
the mountains on the outsk
iming
recla
s
rider
more
and
spotted with more
the quiet and scenic roads as their own.
Many cycling companies are recording sales
rers
growth in China, whilst bicycle manufactu
ities
activ
the
to
look
in countries such as India
.
of Beijing for an answer to declining sales
Dedicated cycling media have also appeared,
t
servicing the growing fan base throughou
the
by
led
n,
China with news and informatio
Tour of Beijing.
rider
And now China has its first Tour de France
in Cheng Ji.
th has
So... the wheels are turning and this grow
of
Tour
the
of
ence
presc
the
by
to
d
been adde
Beijing.

09

2015 AND BEYOND > 09

10

2015 AND BEYOND > 10

EYES OF THE
WORLD ON
BEIJING
each
Media coverage of the Tour of Beijing grew
year.
a and
In 2013, 27 accredited international medi
t.
even
the
ed
cover
a
medi
se
Chine
80
rated
Each year the international press team gene
tly to
direc
ered
news and information that was deliv
the
on
rts
repo
and
a
medi
over 700 international
n
ingto
Wash
the
in
d
carrie
were
g
tour of Beijin
Time
Post and New York Times and pictures in
agencies
Magazine online. Key international news
and
Press
e
Franc
ce
Agen
,
Press
such as Associated
global
a
to
ts
resul
and
news
d
bute
distri
ers
Reut
readership.
6 unique
In 2014, the event website recieved 40,19
event
The
s.
view
page
00
visitors and over 155,0
over
and
s
view
6
74,73
ved
recie
nel
chan
YouTube
the event
1 million minutes were watched. Visitors to
e,
website came from 147 countries, with Franc
ds,
erlan
Neth
dom,
King
d
Portugal, Unite
alia
United States, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Austr
the most featured countries.
receive
Social media saw over 4.2 million cycling fans
ng
leavi
er,
Twitt
via
t
even
the
information on
followers.
more than 11 million impressions on those
.

Interest in cycling in China continues to grow

11

2015 AND BEYOND > 11

GLOBAL
TELEVISION
GROWTH
The Tour of Beijing was amongst the most
watched UCI WorldTour races.
According to 2012 research by IFM Sports
that
(Repucom) the cumulated audiences show
by
ed
view
was
h
whic
g,
Beijin
the 2012 Tour of
ion
posit
h
fourt
in
d
ranke
le,
peop
ion
1mill
146.4
Tour

tours
d
sitting behind only the three gran
de France (2,378.47million), Giro dItalia
(407.54million) and Vuelta a Espaa
(355.80million).
t
This global coverage delivered a significan
e most
unlik
and
g
return on investment for Beijin
de
outsi
held
is
g
cyclin
t,
even
any other sporting
rn
mode
the
of
es
imag
ers
deliv
so
um,
a stadi
Beijing to the world.

Europe
Headlined by Pan Europe coverage by
Eurosport into 131.8million households in
59 countries and also included additional
broadcasts in Denmark (TV2 Sporten), The
e
Netherlands (NOS Studio Sports) and Franc
(Sport+).

Asia Pacific
Commitment by the Chinese host
nations main sports broadcast China
Central Televisions (CCTV) to televise
the Tour of Beijing on its sports dedicated
channel CCTV5 alongside their Olympic
Games, Asian Games and FIFA World
Cup commitments.

Africa
Shown by Supersport
across South Africa.

12

2015 AND BEYOND > 12

Host City coverage was also shown

on Beijing TV, whilst the wider Asia
Pacific region was serviced by a Pan
Asia Eurosport tramission that included 47
different countries.
Eurosport coverage in Asia Pacific was
also extensive.

GLOBAL
TELEVISION
GROWTH
images
The Tour of Beijing produced stunning TV
fans.
s
sport
of
nce
to an increasing global audie
ural
Following the success of the events inaug
dcast
broa
was
g
Beijin
of
Tour
edition, the 2012
ated
dedic
)
(CCTV
s
ision
Telev
ral
Cent
by China
ng
sports channel CCTV5 significantly contributi
.
China
in
g
cyclin
to the development of
broadcast
In 2013 and 2014, the Tour of Beijing was
all over
fans
g
cyclin
that
ring
live on YouTube, ensu
news
daily
,
ming
strea
live
to
s
acces
had
world
the
and event highlights.
The team has worked closely with the Local
race
Organising Committee to create an exciting
s
point
ng
ranki
for
e
battl
n
seaso
of
with the end
the
for
est
inter
of
level
her
anot
g
addin
ys
alwa
global television audience.
ence
2012 UCI WorldTour Cumulated Audi
Audience
Rank Race
(million)
2,378.47

Tour de France

Giro dItalia

407.54

Vuelta a Espaa

355.80

Tour of Beijing

146.41

Paris Nice

125.66

Critrium du Dauphin

70.66

2012 UCI WorldTour

Cumulated Audience (per day)
Rank

Race

Audience
Daily
Average
(million)
118.92

Tour de France

57.25

Paris Roubaix
Tour des Flandres

Tour of Beijing

29.28

Amstel Gold Race

La Flche Wallonne

24.93

44.18

24.36

as Repucom,
Note: IFM Sports, now owned and known
rch. With
is the global leader in sports marketing resea
s around
office
20
and
ience
exper
of
rs
more than 25yea
ct market
the world, Repucom monitor media, condu
opinions
research, observe the activities and distil the
red
requi
ledge
know
the
de
of fans every day to provi
.
to achieve value in marketing and sponsorship

13

2015 AND BEYOND > 13

THE TOUR OF
BEIJING: A NEW
MODEL OF
COOPERATION
l
The Tour of Beijing was designed as a new mode
the
,
teams
the
UCI,
the
en
betwe
of cooperation
stic
riders, local organisers, providers and the dome
cycling scene.
Via its subsidiary company Global Cycling Promotion,
the UCI ensured that the inclusion of the Tour of
it
Beijing in the WorldTour calendar would benef
all parties:
n
- The teams, which received a significant participatio
ed.
cover
fully
costs
on
ortati
transp
fee and got their
The Tour of Beijing also provided TV exposure to
their sponsors in China and gave them the
opportunity to connect with potential partners
during the event
- The riders, with a substantial prize money (USD 400K)
and the opportunity to build a fan base in the most
populated country in the world
such
- Some of the best service providers in the sport,
City
the
and
GCP
of
er
partn
core
a
was
which
ASO
as
n
of Beijing in the event organisatio
se
- Chinese cycling, with the opportunity for Chine
riders
best
's
athletes to compete against the world
and train at the UCI's World Cycling Centre. By
producing the 'Beijing Cycling Stories', a series of
short videos available on its YouTube channel, and
supporting the Panda Corner, GCP also supported
the local cycling scene.
GCP
During the four editions of the Tour of Beijing,
olders
stakeh
all
with
ue
dialog
nt
maintained a consta
s
involved to ensure they would benefit from the succes
l
critica
some
in
l
of the event. This also proved helpfu
key.
was
ration
situations where coope

WE SPOKE TOGETHER WITH THE ORGANIZATION, UCI,

AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD CANCEL THE
LAST 30K, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD DECISION,
THIS MEANS A LOT, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IN THE
PAST THEY DIDNT LISTEN TO US. AND TODAY, WE DID
A BIG STEP IN OUR SPORT, I THINK.

PHILIPPE GILBERT, YANQING 11 OCTOBER 2014

14

2015 AND BEYOND > 13

THE 2014
FINALE
Beijing
The fourth and final edition of the Tour of
.
2014
ber
Octo
th
10-14
from
place
took
r ski fields
With a new route that included the winte
of the
ry
histo
the
in
field
best
the
and
Li
of Chong
Inxausti
t
Bena
event, including defending champion
Costa
Rui
pions
cham
(Movistar) and former world
), five
(Lampre-Merida) and Philippe Gilbert (BMC
lded.
unfo
g
racin
of
days
ing
excit
a prior
The challenges of the withdrawal of Astan
stage
on
route
race
ened
short
a
and
t
even
to the
led
hand
were
2 due to air quality in Yanqing
the race
effectively, and overall the impressions of
ive.
posit
were
nce
audie
l
globa
form the
and
The 2014 edition built on previous successes
ds
crow
large
the
by
rent
appa
was
it
learnings and
with
ated
on the road side that the event reson
d
local audiences. Despite a scaled back invite
age
cover
a
medi
nal
natio
inter
media program,
focussed
grew and cycling-centric media coverage
edition.
final
ts
on the debate regarding the even
many
ver
howe
on,
opini
ed
divid
This is a topic that
view
a
ssed
expre
s
team
and
ts
cyclis
ors,
commentat
r race
dTou
Worl
a
that cycling would be poorer with
the
to
ast
contr
g
in China which is in stron
sentiment just four years ago
to a
The 2014 edition was once again broadcast
live on
was
and
nent
conti
every
in
global audience
2013.
from
tly
fican
signi
ased
incre
s
View
ube.
YouT
ented
On social media the event had an unpreced
in
ase
incre
57%
a
ed
rienc
expe
and
global reach
ook
Faceb
in
ase
Twitter followers and 114% incre
ed
likes from 2013. The #ToB2014 hashtag reach
ijing
rofBe
@Tou
fic
speci
the
nts
accou
n
over 4 millio
handle reached 3.1 million accounts and the
nts,
Tour of Beijing reached 4.8 million accou
.
2013
on
ase
incre
a massive 310%
Website activity also increased, with a 115%
increase in website result page views in 2014
compared to 2013. As did YouTube
at
And once again the Panda was popular, both
race
g
durin
and
pre
g
durin
and
er
Panda Corn
activities.

15

2015 AND BEYOND > 13

THANK
YOU
ther we
It has been a journey since 2011 and toge
g in
cyclin
for
nt
amou
great
a
ved
achie
all
have
.
world
the
China and for cycling all over
nt
Thank you to the Beijing Municipal Governme
along
au
Bure
s
and the Beijing Municipal Sport
with the LOC staff for taking this journey.
ou,
We also thank the governments of Zhangjiak
wish
we
and
ts
effor
their
Chong Li and Yanqing for
pic
Olym
2022
the
for
bid
the
for
them the best
Winter Games.
g
The international team from Global Cyclin
Media
Jump
,
ision
Telev
for
Sport
ASO,
,
otion
Prom
ed
work
have
ulting
& Marketing and Silk Road Cons
t.
even
lent
excel
an
er
deliv
to
closely with the LOC
of
We hope it is not an end, but the beginning
and
China
in
g
cyclin
for
s
bigger and better thing
.
around the world
ed as
And in the years to come, all will be remember
a
into
rode
who
p
grou
ng
blazi
part of the trail
.
sport
the
for
ier
front
new

16

2015 AND BEYOND > 18

17

2015 AND BEYOND > 18