PANO – The cycling tournament, “To Dien Bien Phu 2014″ – the People’s Army Newspaper (PAN) Cup – started on the morning of May 1st at the Restored Sword Lake in Hanoi.
Cyclists follow closely behind each other
Addressing the opening ceremony, Lieutenant General Le Phuc Nguyen, the PAN’s Editor-in-Chief and Head of the tourney’s organising board stressed that the tourney is not only a prominent sports event, but also an activity to show gratitude to older generations who contributed their intelligence, sweat and blood and bone to write the golden epic named Dien Bien Phu that the world has admiration for.
>>Cycling organizers pay tribute to Uncle Ho and General Vo Nguyen Giap
The Editor-in-Chief added that apart from competing with each other, riders will also participate in a series of gratitude activities and artistic programs to be held at each stop.
During the week-long race, 115 riders from 23 teams, including those from Japan, Malaysia and Timor Leste, will cycle over 550km from Hanoi to such northwestern places which closely attach to Vietnamese troops and people’ feats of arms in the resistance war against foreign invaders as Hoa Binh, Mai Chau, Son La, Tuan Giao and Dien Bien Phu.
Politburo member, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan (2nd from the right) and Lieutenant General Mai Quang Phan (in military uniform), Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army present prizes to best male cyclists
Right after the opening ceremony, riders competed in a first race around the Restored Sword Lake.
9 female teams cycled 18 laps while 14 male ones competed in 15 laps. A sprint is held every 3 laps.
Cyclists followed closely behind each other. With sound tactics, cyclist Nguyen Thi That from An Giang Plant Protection Joint-stock Company (AGPPS) ranked the first, followed by Vo Thi Phuong Phi from Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage Environment Co., Ltd (BIWASE), Nguyen Thi Thanh from Co May Dong Thap 1 and Pham Thi Kim Loan from Co May Dong Thap 2.
In the race for men, cyclist Le Van Duan from Suntek Sao Viet-Ho Chi Minh City held the first position. The second and third positions belonged to Nguyen Thanh Tam from AGPPS and Do Tuan Anh from Domesco Dong Thap 1 while two Malaysian cyclists, Amirul Anuar Jafri and Sunhardi Hassan ranked the fourth and fifth.
On May 2nd, cyclists will compete in the second stage from Hanoi to Hoa Binh.
Translated by Mai Huong
Đăng ký: VietNam News