At 6:00 AM June 28, the piercing sound of the starting gun broke the dawn serenity over Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center (XICEC), officially flagging off Giro d’Italia RIDE LIKE A PRO China Tour Xiamen Open Race 2026. Thousands of cyclists surged past the starting line, heading north along Island Ring Road, like a pink storm sweeping across the city.
This marks the historic debut in Xiamen for the 117-year-old Giro d’Italia brand, and the first time for the city to host a world-class premier road cycling race. The 77-kilometer closed-circuit course traversed five administrative districts—Siming, Huli, Jimei, Tong’an, and Xiang’an—seamlessly weaving together Xiamen’s most iconic coastal landmarks, including Island Ring Road, Wuyuan Bay, Jimei Bridge, and Romantic East Line. Major urban thoroughfares including Jimei Bridge, underwent full traffic closure for a cycling competition for the first time in history.
World-class Event Made Its Xiamen Premiere, Local Rider Topped the Podium
As the ceremonial horns sounded, Xiamen took center stage. A lineup of distinguished heavyweights—including SUN Weimin, President of Chinese Cycling Association, RUAN Dunliang, Director-General of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Sports, Michele Napoli, CEO of RCS Sports and Events DMCC, and legendary cyclist Chris Froome—jointly flagged off the race.
The event comprised four competition categories: Men’s Elite, Women’s Elite, Men’s Challenge, and Women’s Challenge, bringing together professional riders and cycling enthusiasts from numerous countries and regions worldwide to compete on the same stage.
“Riding across the cross-sea bridge was absolutely exhilarating!” exclaimed XUE Fuwen from Winspace Xiamen, pumping his fists in the air as he crossed the finish line to unleash his pure competitive joy. XUE captured the Men’s Elite championship with a stunning time of 1:37:08. His teammate WANG Qiang followed closely to secure third place, bringing immense honor to the local cycling community. In Women’s Elite, ZHANG Tingting from Bigrock claimed the crown with a powerful sprint finish at 1:56:25.
“As a local Xiamen team, we were deeply motivated to secure this championship on our home turf. Thanks to our flawless teamwork, we made it happen,” said WANG Qiang, captain of Winspace, in a post-race interview. He expressed his hope that Xiamen will continue to host more cycling events in the future, promising that local teams will always compete with full dedication and strive for excellence.
Jimei Bridge’s Historic Closure for an Ironclad Safety Barrier
Utilizing major urban arteries like Jimei Bridge as a fully closed racetrack presented an extraordinary challenge for the city’s comprehensive logistics and organizational capabilities.
The race zone was meticulously divided into eight core responsibility sectors, coordinating approximately 20 elite security agencies from across the city and deploying a total of 2,897 security personnel. Fixed security posts were stationed every 100 to 150 meters along the route, strictly implementing a system of “designated personnel, fixed posts, and clear responsibilities.” Comprehensive pre-race briefings and full-scale operational drills were conducted to guarantee absolute safety along the course.
Medical security was equally rigorous. Six designated emergency hospitals, seven on-site medical stations, 13 ambulances, eight medical motorcycles, and eight AED-equipped cycling medical teams were on standby throughout the race, ensuring rapid response and efficient treatment.
By 4:00 AM, personnel from public security, traffic police, emergency management, and medical units were fully deployed at their stations. A fleet of 50 professional motorcycles—including those for medical support, media, and live broadcasting—escorted the peloton, dynamically ensuring both media broadcast quality and emergency response timeliness. Additionally, the event invited 54 professional commissaires, including 12 national-level referees and 32 national first-class referees, ensuring the competition was executed under high standards of fairness, equity, and smooth operation.
Thoughtful hospitality was woven into every aspect of the event, with 338 volunteers stationed across athlete check-in, aid stations, and finish-line services to safeguard every participant with meticulous care. The route featured two professional supply stations and one dedicated hydration point, maintaining a plentiful supply of drinking water and energy provisions. Furthermore, the organizing committee introduced a tailored bicycle transport service in partnership with SF Express. Upon completing the race, cyclists could directly pack and ship their bikes back to the downtown island area or their homes, eliminating the hassle of traveling with heavy gear, which significantly elevated the participant experience.
Pink Carnival Ignited the City,Where Elite Sports and Public Life Converge
The event extended far beyond racing, but also served as a powerful driver of cultural empowerment and public celebration. From June 26 to 27, the Pink Carnival at the Wuyi Cultural Square opened to the public free of charge, igniting the city’s enthusiasm ahead of the race. Featuring a Giro d’Italia heritage exhibition, a food market for Chinese and Italian cuisine, parent-child craft workshops, and interactive brand exhibition zones, the carnival offered over 7,000 prizes ranging from high-end bike frames and wheelsets to water bottles and energy provisions, covering every aspect of cycling.
Chris Froome, the winner of both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España and four-time Tour de France champion, graced the festival in person on June 27 and interacted closely with hundreds of ecstatic fans.
At the carnival, the intangible cultural heritage performances of southern Fujian shared the stage with traditional Italian dances, while the food market for Chinese and Italian cuisine filled the air with enticing aromas. Local residents and cycling enthusiasts immersed themselves in the cultural heritage of the century-old Giro d’Italia in a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere, achieving a beautiful convergence between elite sports and everyday public life.
Driving Urban Growth via Sports Events,Earning a New Sports Tag for Xiamen
Hosting the historic Giro d’Italia has not only filled a gap in Xiamen’s portfolio of international world-class road cycling events, but has also enriched and perfected its premium sporting event matrix, injecting fresh momentum into the development of the local sports industry and city branding. Leveraging the global influence of this century-old premier IP, Xiamen has effectively put into practice its core philosophy of “shaping the city, booming industries, and benefiting the public through hosting sports events,” scripting a brilliant new chapter in the high-quality development of urban sports.
An official from Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Sports stated that Xiamen has been actively building itself into a globally renowned sports city in recent years, successfully hosting numerous prestigious domestic and international events, such as the Wanda Diamond League Xiamen, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and Sudirman Cup. The debut of the legendary Giro d’Italia further expands the landscape and ecosystem of high-level sports in Xiamen, bearing profound significance for elevating the city’s global profile and accelerating the high-quality evolution of the regional sports industry.
“Not everyone can be a champion, but everyone can RIDE LIKE A PRO.” This event slogan serves as the perfect footnote to this spectacular gathering. Though the race has concluded, the passion remains unquenched as the cycling craze continues to heat up across Xiamen. This romantic and exhilarating pink storm has officially added another dazzling luster to Xiamen’s golden reputation as an “International Coastal Sports City.”