Tour of Beijing Race Guide
We take a look at the route for the 2014 WorldTour finale as Team Sky head to China for a tough stage race test.
Last Updated: 14/10/14 11:33am
The Tour of Beijing has established its place as the WorldTour finale in recent years but 2014 will mark the final edition of the tour in this iteration.
Despite that the late-season event continues to provide a tough test, with the latest route again including the Mentougou Miaofeng mountain-top finish which helped decide the podium last season.
Another top field of riders will travel to the Far East looking to claim the remaining WorldTour points on offer and round out their season of in style.
Team Sky arrive in China with a strong team, including former podium finishers in Edvald Boasson Hagen and David Lopez. Ian Boswell, Dario Cataldo and Philip Deignan provide firepower on the climbs with Bernie Eisel, Chris Sutton and Ben Swift ensuring a purposeful presence on the flat.
Stages
Friday 10 October – Stage One: Chong Li to Zhangjiakou, 167km
There’s no chance for the peloton to ease their way into this year’s edition of the race as the climbing starts as soon as the riders roll out of Chongli. The pack will head north out of the city towards the category-two climb of Hua Pi Ling, which is closely followed by the category-three He Shun Ding summit. Early undulations could sting some tired legs but a largely downhill run into the finish should produce a bunch sprint in Zhangjiakou.
TV coverage: Live on Eurosport from 0800 with highlights at 1030 (BE2) and 2030.
Saturday 11 October – Stage Two: Chong Li to Yanqing, 147.5km
Day two sees the peloton again head out of Chong Li and straight into a drag that should be sufficient for a breakaway to form. The pack will then begin a long descent through a number of local villages on the way to the first categorised climb of the day. A short third-category rise through Tun Jun Pu village is unlikely to cause any major problems, but the lengthy drag towards Yan Jia Ping village (with the last kilometre at 8%) could see some riders dropped. Yet another fast descent into the finish in Yanqing means there will be ample time to prepare for the sprint finale.
TV coverage: Live on Eurosport from 0800 with highlights at 2130 (BE2).
Sunday 12 October – Stage Three: Yanqing to Qianjiadian Chao Yang Temple, 176km
The real climbing starts on day three as the peloton tackle no less than seven categorised ascents during the longest stage of the race. Key to the parcours is the first-category Si Hai climb, measuring 802m and 7.4km in length. With an average of 5.1%, this should see an already tired peloton begin to fracture, perhaps creating an elite selection heading to the finish. The run to the race’s most northerly point features another two climbs, the latter, the third-category Huang Tu Liang test, arriving 11km from home. A potential springboard for late attacks could provide an exciting finish.
TV coverage: Live on Eurosport 2 from 0800 with highlights at 1030, 1645 and 2330 (all Eurosport).
Monday 13 October – Stage Four: Yanqing to Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain, 157km
The penultimate day culminates in a summit finish on Mentougou Miaofeng mountain, but in order to get there, the riders must tackle another day of climbs, heading out of Yanqing once again. A 20km downhill run leads the peloton into a first-category climb up to Xian Ren Dong Village (61.5km). The steep 7.7km drag could well split the field from early on, with very little respite ahead of the short, sharper cat. 2 Gao Ya Kou dig. The race plunges down into the valley, briefly tearing through the Yangfang streets en route to the Western Hills. The road turns back on itself before the entry to the final climb. 12.6km at 5.7%, the long drag will produce a worthy winner ahead of the final-day circuit.
TV coverage: Live on Eurosport from 0800 with highlights at 1100 (BE2), 1500 and 1900 (BE2).
Tuesday 14 October – Stage Five: Tian'anmen Square to Bird’s Nest Piazza, 117km
The final stage gives the sprinters another chance to fight it out with a city centre circuit around the streets of Beijing. The action kicks off at Tian'anmen Square, heading around the famous landmark before transferring its way around the Xicheng district on the way to the Olympic Park. The famous Bird’s Nest Stadium is the focal point for a final loop, with the riders contesting 12 laps of the anti-clockwise 7.5km route. All the GC leader needs to do is stay upright to bring home the overall victory in the final WorldTour race of the year.
TV coverage: Live on Eurosport from 0800 with highlights at 1100 (BE2), 1500 and 2100 (BE2).
Team Sky history
The team have had a rider on the overall podium in each of the previous three editions of the race. The run, dating back to 2011, has seen three consecutive third places for Chris Froome, Edvald Boasson Hagen and, most recently, David Lopez.
