The Wushan Station of the 2026 Tour of the Three Gorges Cycling Race kicks off. Chinese and foreign athletes race on the "Cloud Sky Road"

China News Service, Chongqing, October 16 (Reporter Xiao Jiangchuan) On the 16th, the first leg of the 2026 Tour of the Three Gorges Cycling Race kicked off in Wushan, Chongqing. More than 320 athletes from 15 countries and regions, including China, Russia, Australia, Ireland, and Thailand, gathered on the banks of Wu Gorge to start a competition of speed and endurance on the "Cloud Sky Road".

The 2026 Tour of the Three Gorges Cycling Race lasts for three days and has three stages: Wushan, Yunyang and Wanzhou. The total mileage of the event is 322.9 kilometers, of which the cycling distance is 163.9 kilometers and the cruise mileage is 159 kilometers.

The Wushan Station competition has three competition categories: men's elite group, men's open group, and women's open group. The competition distance is 37.4 kilometers and the cumulative climb is about 1,500 meters, which is very challenging.

The Wushan Station competition route starts from Wushan High-speed Railway Station and spirals all the way up, passing the Goddess Cultural Landmark, the Three Gorges Red Leaf Landscape Belt, passing through the Wu Gorge Gorge Scenic Area, and extending towards the Motian Ridge. Along the track, runners can not only overlook the ancient grace of Goddess Peak, feel the poetic heritage of "Once upon a time, the sea was difficult to make water, but Wushan is not clouds", they can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Little Three Gorges and the Little Three Gorges.

After fierce competition, Xie Jun from the old car fan TREK Team won the men's elite category championship with a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes and 5 seconds, and wore the "Legend Jersey"; Huang Kang from the L7K-Xichang Smoke Bomb Racing Team won the men's open category championship with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 7 seconds, wearing the "Heroic Jersey"; Yongqi Mao from the L7K-Xichang Smoke Bomb Racing Team won the women's open category championship with a time of 1 hour, 37 minutes and 20 seconds, wearing the "Heroes Jersey".

"The track at Wushan Station is very challenging, and almost the whole process is climbing. It is not easy to win this championship today." Xie Jun said that although the track is very challenging, the scenery along the track is very beautiful, and the riding experience is very good in a cloud-shrouded environment.

The Three Gorges Cycling Race relies on the luxury cruise ship on the Yangtze River to complete the stage transition, achieving an immersive competition experience of "racing against the wind during the day and sleeping on the river at night."