On the morning of April 15th, the 17th Hainan Island International Road Cycling Race in 2026, sponsored by “Li Auto Cup”, officially kicked off in Haikou. The first stage, from Haikou to Chengmai, Lingao, and then to Danzhou (Yangpu), named “Senrui Dream”, witnessed a fierce competition.
On the same day, the curtain of the first stage of the 2026 Island-Circling Cycling National Challenge, the Haikou-Lingao leg, was also simultaneously drawn. At the sound of the starting gun, hundreds of cycling enthusiasts rushed out like a tide, speeding westward along the coastal avenue, writing the speed and passion of the new year on the 73-kilometer western route landscape.
Cycling enthusiasts from all directions gather to fulfill the appointment of the first round – the – island journey
The duration of this year’s National Cycling Challenge has been extended to five days, running in sync with the professional race track. This has attracted cycling enthusiasts from all over the country to sign up enthusiastically.
This year, there have been improvements in various aspects such as the scale of the competition and the strength of the contestants. Tai Xinlong, a cyclist from the former Wuzhishan 1867 Youth Team, has a deep feeling about this. “The contestants are all very enthusiastic and full of drive. The cycling atmosphere is very good,” Tai Xinlong is full of expectations for this year’s national challenge competition.
Wei Wei from Beijing and his wife Wu Fan chose a new way to experience this year’s环岛赛. They cycled nearly 3,000 kilometers all the way from Beijing to the south, specifically coming to this island cycling event. “The mass challenge of the环岛赛 is a real multi – day race, and the race route is well – known across the country. This is something that many amateur races don’t have. Like cyclists from all over the country, we were also attracted by such unique charm.”
The enthusiasm remains undiminished in the high temperature, and there are beautiful scenery all the way while cycling.
From the urban coastal areas, to the bridges and bays, and then to the rural idylls, the 73-kilometer race track is like a flowing picture of the northern Hainan charm, slowly unfurling beneath the wheels.
This stage is mainly composed of flat sections, providing an excellent stage for sprinters to showcase their skills. Despite enduring the “roast” of high temperatures, the cyclists still completed the challenge with perseverance and determination, demonstrating their love for cycling.
Zou Bo, also from Beijing, is a familiar face in the National Challenge. To cope with this year’s high – temperature warning, he and his teammates have made full preparations, including early heat – adaptation training, scientific hydration and timely cooling on the field to maintain a good state and strive for good results.
Li Si, a Chinese female cyclist and a cycling blogger, is affectionately called “Sister Ya” by her fans. In this national challenge, Li Si felt that the enthusiasm was “off the charts”. Not only was the atmosphere of the event fiery, but the weather was also very hot. Despite the sweltering weather, Li Si thought it was well worth it. She sincerely hopes that cycling enthusiasts will come to the环岛赛 and fully enjoy such an excellent race track.
Final Sprint Determines the Outcome, Results of Each Group Settle
The flat track throughout the whole course makes the competition before the finish line extremely fierce. At the sprint point, the cyclists all exerted their full strength in the last 100 meters, and the winner was decided by a margin of milliseconds.
The competition in the men’s elite group was the most thrilling. The riders gave their all in the final moments. Finally, Matvei Tokarev from the BeelordTavelo – Rock Bros – Power Box Seka team won the championship of the first – day stage with a time of 1:43:38. Dong Jianqi from the Qiji CK – ESSEN team and Ivan Blokhin from the TREK Chengdu Old Bike Fans team finished second and third respectively.
The competition in the men’s open group was equally fierce. Edwin Alcibiades Avila Vanegas from Jingchuang Team crossed the finish line first and won the championship. Wu Yunfei and Fan Wei from Shockwave – Xiqizhe Team ranked second and third respectively.
In the men’s masters group, Zhao Yingjun, a veteran of the Ruibao MKMK team, controlled the race rhythm with his rich on – the – spot experience and finally won the first place in this group. Cui Chaofei and Jin Yulin of the Shockwave – Xiqizhe team took the second and third places respectively.
The competition in the women’s elite group was equally exciting. Li Sishan showed strong sprinting power before the finish line and crossed it first. Li Si and Ou Haixin finished the race right behind her.
Zhang Tingting in the women’s open group was the first to cross the finish line and took the first place. Chen Meng and Li Xiaojie crossed the finish line right behind her, respectively winning the second and third places in this group.
On the track of the men’s junior group, the young athletes showed no fear. Hu Sirui stood out in the sprint and took the first place. Chen Junhe finished second, and Liu Ziming came in third. The outstanding performances of these three teenagers were truly eye – catching.
On April 16, the race will enter the second stage, the Danzhou (Yangpu) – Baisha stage. This stage is 114 kilometers long, making it the longest stage of this challenge. From flat – road sprints to mountain battles, the difficulty level of the race gradually increases, posing higher requirements for the physical fitness reserves and tactical execution abilities of the participating athletes. Let’s look forward to their extraordinary performances tomorrow.
The 17th Hainan Island International Road Cycling Race 2026, sponsored by the “Li Auto Cup”, is jointly hosted by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the General Administration of Sport of China, and the People’s Government of Hainan Province. It is organized by the Chinese Cycling Association, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, the People’s Government of Haikou City, the People’s Government of Sanya City, the People’s Government of Danzhou City, the People’s Government of Wuzhishan City, the People’s Government of Lingshui Li Autonomous County, and the People’s Government of Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County. It is co – organized by the People’s Government of Chengmai County, the People’s Government of Lingao County, the People’s Government of Baisha Li Autonomous County, the People’s Government of Changjiang Li Autonomous County, the People’s Government of Ledong Li Autonomous County, the People’s Government of Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County, the Hainan Sports Events Center, the Hainan Sports Lottery Management Center, and Beijing Li Auto Co., Ltd. It is operated by Hainan Broadcasting Film and Television Media Group Co., Ltd. and Hainan Island – Circling International Road Cycling Race Co., Ltd.
