UCI President President's message

There is no doubt that China has become a serious road cycling nation and there is also no doubt that the Tour of Hainan has had its part to play in this development.　　As President of the UCI, the globalisation of cycling has always been one of my main priorities, and it was with this aim in mind that I launched the UCI Continental Tours in 2005. The Tour of Hainan was first held in 2007, and immediately became part of the then 

relatively new UCI Asia Tour.　　Upgraded after one year from class 2.2 to 2.1, and then to HC in 2009, the Tour of Hainan is an established and popular part of the Asia Tour. Each year, professional cyclists from all over the continent, and indeed the world, converge on this province in the South 
China Sea for nine days of racing. 　　It is exactly events such as this that play an important role in the globalisation of our sport: athletes discover a region that a few years ago was unknown to them, and the local population gets to witness first hand the excitement of professional racing. 
In addition, images relayed further afield ensure that cycling, and the province of Hainan, are in the spotlight throughout the event.　Of course behind every successful race is a large and dedicated team of people, and I take this opportunity to thank the 
organisers, local authorities, sponsors and volunteers for the great many hours they put in to ensure the continued success of the Tour of Hainan. 　　I know that the 2013 edition, with nine days of racing over a total of 1400km, will be as exciting as always, and I wish the best of luck to all those who will be at the start on October 20th.