Tough L'Etape China route wraps up 2019 race

L'Étape Chengjiang by Tour de France, the final stage of the 2019 L'Étape, concluded on Sunday after nearly 2,000 riders from home and abroad conquered high altitude but in a heaven-like surrounding.

The 115 km route featured a staple Tour De France mountain climb through the local wonders of the Fu Xian Lake and mountain scenery and became the toughest route in China. Cyclists climbed from an elevation of 1,416 meters to 2,123 meters across a nearly 28 km race while overcoming altitude sickness and ever-changing weather.

Su Haoyu, 19, clocked 3 hours 23 minutes and 52 seconds to win the men's group and will be invited to next year's L'Etape Du Tour in France.

Charted like a professional route, the L'Etape route is an authentic experience for amateur cyclists.

Professional rider Marcel Kittel from Germany joined the race with amateur cyclists.

The Chengjiang stage is the first Tour de France series to be held in the southwest part of China and the fifth installment of the cycling competition to take place in China following Zhuji in May, Beijing and Shanghai last year, and Changsha in 2017.

Chengjiang, 52 km southeast to the provincial capital of Kunming, boasts an ecologically rich environment, and was listed as one of CNN's top 10 recommended tour destinations in 2018. Fuxian Lake, about 1,700 above the sea level, is regarded as the "highland Maldives" and a paradise for outdoor lovers.

With such a globally popular event taking place in the county, Chengjiang hopes to use the opportunity to further develop a unique tourism and sport industry, with the hopes of growing into a world-class cycling destination.