Giro d’Italia RIDE LIKE A PRO Makes Historic Debut in Xiamen with a 77km Pink Storm

XIAMEN, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At 6:00 AM on June 28, the starting gun officially flagged off the Giro d’Italia RIDE LIKE A PRO China Tour Xiamen Open Race 2026 at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center. Supervised by RCS Sports and Events DMCC, the event was hosted by the Chinese Cycling Association, Fujian Sports Administrative Centre of Athletics and Cycling, and Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Sports. It was organized by Siming District People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, Huli District People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, Jimei District People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, Tongan District People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, Xiangan District People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, and Xiamen Renxi Sports Event Management Co., Ltd., with co-organization by the Xiamen Cycling Association. Thousands of cyclists surged 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 road cycling race. The 77-kilometer closed-circuit course traversed five administrative districts, seamlessly weaving together Xiamen’s most iconic coastal landmarks. Major urban thoroughfares underwent full traffic closure for a cycling competition for the first time in history.

As horns sounded, 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, bringing together professional riders and enthusiasts from numerous countries and regions to compete.

“Riding across the cross-sea bridge was absolutely exhilarating!” exclaimed XUE Fuwen from Winspace Xiamen, crossing the finish line to capture the Men’s Elite championship at 1:37:08. His teammate WANG Qiang followed closely to secure third place, bringing immense honor to the local cycling community. In the Women’s Elite category, ZHANG Tingting from Bigrock claimed the crown with a powerful sprint finish at 1:56:25.

The debut of the legendary Giro d’Italia further expands the landscape of high-level sports in Xiamen. Though the race has concluded, the passion remains unquenched. This exhilarating pink storm has officially added another dazzling luster to Xiamen’s reputation as an "International Coastal Sports City."