Tour of Qinghai Lake to begin as Tour de France gets serious

The 17th Tour of Qinghai Lake kicks off on July 20 with a 162 kilometer trek from Ledu to the provincial capital Xining. 

The tour runs concurrently with the Tour de France, which is at about the halfway point and has now reached the Alps. 

Stage 1 from Ledu to Xining at the 2017 Tour of Qinghai Lake [File Photo: IC]

Although the Tour de France is cycling's most grueling and prestigious race, the Tour of Qinghai Lake has been held annually since 2002 as part of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Asia Tour. 

The winners of the Tour de France are almost always decided during the mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrenees in the south of France. The stages of the Tour of Qinghai Lake are not as punishing as they lack the steep inclines, but riders have to overcome the challenge of riding at an average altitude of over 3,000 meters across all the stages. 

This year's Tour de France began in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île and has 21 stages covering 3,351 kilometers before finishing on the Champs-Elysees. The Tour of Qinghai Lake takes place around the picturesque lake of its namesake Qinghai Province on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. This year's route has 13 stages totaling 1,841 kilometers.

Geraint Thomas celebrates on the podium after the eleventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 108.5 kilometers (67.4 miles) with start in Albertville and finish in La Rosiere Espace San Bernardo, France. [Photo: AP/Christophe Ena]

A total of 176 riders from 22 teams are currently taking part in what is the 105th edition of the Tour de France. Team Sky's Geraint Thomas has taken the overall lead and is wearing the iconic yellow jersey. The Tour of Qinghai Lake is welcoming 154 riders from 22 teams. 

2017 overall winner Jonathan Monsalve [Photo: VCG]

Both tournaments will award winners in the overall, points, and mountain classifications. The best young rider will also be honored at the Tour de France, while the fastest Asian rider will be given the nod at the Tour of Qinghai Lake.