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On May 24th, the fifth stage of the 18th China Xinjiang Tour of Sayram Lake (International) Road Cycling Race witnessed an exciting competition. As the core and decisive “Queen Stage” with high value in this year’s event, this stage covers a total distance of 82 kilometers, and the track leads directly from Wenquan County to the beautiful Sayram Lake.
This stage is extremely challenging. A mid – race sprint point is set at the 39 – kilometer mark of the race. The core climbing section is from 44.8 kilometers to 55.9 kilometers, where the altitude climbs from over 1300 meters to over 2100 meters. The significant altitude difference greatly consumes the cyclists’ physical energy. After the climb, the remaining 26 kilometers are mainly gentle downhill and flat roads, and the final sprint at the finish line takes place at the Moon Bay Scenic Area of Sailimu Lake. The entire race track combines high – altitude climbs, continuous bends, and undulating slopes, making the competition extremely difficult.
Along the race track, the towering snow-capped mountains stand majestically, the vast meadows stretch as far as the eye can see, and the clear and transparent waters of Sayram Lake glisten. The magnificent scenery of northern Xinjiang unfolds before your eyes, creating a unique race track landscape where “high-speed competition coexists with the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains”.
The race entered a high-intensity competitive state right from the start. At the 2-kilometer mark of the race, Tuer Songjiang, a cyclist from the Wenquan County Wild Yak Team, broke away first and became the first “rabbit” to break away in this race. When the race advanced to the 15-kilometer mark, cyclists from the KDY Nengzhe Zongheng Team followed and broke away, gradually opening up the situation on the track. Around the 20-kilometer mark, a multi-rider breakaway group was officially formed, including two cyclists from the KDY Nengzhe Zongheng Team, Kong Wensheng from the Phoenix Fenice – Jichi Team, and Niu Minghui from the Wanjia Sports Team.
As the race continued, the breakaway group was constantly reshuffled and streamlined. By the 26-kilometer mark, only four riders remained in the breakaway lineup, namely Gong Linlang from the KDY Team, Kong Wensheng from the Phoenix Fenix – Jichi Team, Zhu Haiyue from the Jingchuang – Power Box United Team, and Niu Minghui from the Wanjia Sports Team. In the fierce competition at the intermediate sprint point at 39 kilometers, Niu Minghui, Gong Linlang, and Zhu Haiyue crossed the finish line in sequence and won the sprint points at this point.
After entering the core climbing section, the situation on the racecourse changed again. At the 48-kilometer mark, Huang Shihai of the Wenquan County Wild Yak Team and Hahelixi of the Jingchuang – Power Box United Team broke away strongly with their excellent climbing abilities, forming a leading two-rider small group. At the 60-kilometer mark, ULADZISLAU YARASH of the Phoenix Fenix – Jichi Team made a decisive breakaway and chased the leading two riders ahead with all his might. When the race was approaching 70 kilometers, Mukhin Mikhail of the Senrui Mengwanjia Sports Ruibao Team successfully caught up with ULADZISLAU YARASH, and the two formed a second chasing group. In the last ten-odd kilometers of the race, the racecourse pattern stabilized into a situation of “two riders leading in the front, two riders chasing in the middle, and a large group following behind”, and the competitive atmosphere reached its peak.
In the end, Hahelixi, a rider from the Jingchuang – Power Box United Team, took the lead in crossing the finish line to win the championship of this stage with his stable rhythm control and strong sprinting ability; Huang Shihai from the Wenquan County Wild Yak Team followed closely behind and won the runner – up. Only 9 seconds later, Mukhin Mikhail from the Senrui Mengwanjia Sports Ruibao Team and ULADZISLAU YARASH from the Phoenix Fenice – Jichi Team crossed the line one after another, finishing third and fourth respectively.
After the race, Hahailixi·Habudeli, the champion rider of the Power Box – SEKA Team, shared his insights on winning the championship: “This victory didn’t come easily. The long – distance climb in this stage took a huge toll on physical strength, and the entire race was full of challenges. Before the race, I specifically made a systematic physical fitness reserve and race schedule plan. During the race, I always insisted on keeping a steady rhythm and fighting with all my might. Thanks to my stable performance, I won the championship of this queen stage. I’m filled with joy and excitement inside.”
Huang Shihai, the second-place rider of the Wenquan Wild Yak Cycling Team, also highly affirmed the team’s performance: “In this race, our team executed the tactics very well. The teammates coordinated and cooperated throughout the whole process. They led the way precisely during the climbing stage and provided tacit cover during the breakaways. Every tactical detail was smoothly connected, which provided strong support for me to complete the race successfully and win the ranking. Next, I will adjust my state in time, make up for my weaknesses, and go all out to strive for the championship in the subsequent stages.”
In terms of the ownership of the three jerseys, Hahelixihabudeli of the Jingchuang Power Box – SEKA Team won the blue jersey with the stage victory. Steven Manuel Cuesta Zamora of the Senruimeng Wanjia Sports Ruibao Team won the green jersey, and Huang Shihai of the Wenquan Wild Yak Team won the yellow jersey.
This Queen Stage race connects the hot spring health and wellness scenery with the ecological landscape of Sayram Lake, promoting the in – depth integration of sports events and the cultural and tourism industry. The race not only provides a platform for cycling enthusiasts at home and abroad to compete and exchange, but also, through the event as a window, comprehensively and multi – dimensionally showcases the beautiful ecological scenery, unique cultural and humanistic customs, and the booming development trend of Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.
Currently, the exciting schedule of this year’s环湖赛 (Tour of the Lake) is advancing steadily. After the conclusion of the highly competitive Queen Stage, the event is entering the final sprint stage. Next, cyclists from all over will continue to race on the环湖赛道, striving for the top honor and continuing to write the wonderful story of the integration of sports and the magnificent scenery.
Note: “环湖赛” is a proper name and there is no widely – recognized English equivalent, so it’s left in Chinese here. You may replace it with the correct English name if there is one.Photography: Yusuf Aini
Video material shooting: Bortala Media Center (Li Qiang, Zhong Dawei, Zhu Zhenlong, He Zhijun)
Results of the fifth stage
Note: "战况" is left untranslated as it seems to be a special term related to the cycling event and there is no clear one – to – one English equivalent provided in the context. If it means "battle situation" or "race situation", it can be further adjusted.
Team Preview | The 18th China Xinjiang Tour of Sayram Lake (International) Road Cycling Race in 2026
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