Tour de France Beijing to grow cycling culture

Yang said she believed the cycling market in China is promising although the country lacks world professional cyclists and population who cycle as a lifestyle. "We need to start with high-quality cycling events to produce social benefits before we can make the market profitable."

China was home to a cycling population of 12 million in 2017, and the number is expected to reach 15 million in 2018.The cycling population mainly comes from major cities and eastern provinces like Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang province, and are aged 20 to 25 with high education and pay.

With a history of 115 years, Le Tour de France attracts 10 million spectators and 3.5 billion TV viewers worldwide.