海拔最高的环湖自行车赛

马小明 杨鹏 张梦泽

2023 年7 月8 日至16 日，第22 屆环青海湖国际公路自行车赛（简称“环湖赛”）顺利举行，并完美收官。

From July 8th to 16th， 2023， the 22nd QinghaiLake International Road Cycling Race， also known asthe “Tour of Qinghai Lake，” was held and concludedsuccessfully.

自2002 年起，每年的6 月至8 月间，“环湖赛”在青海省的环青海湖地区和邻近的甘肃省及宁夏回族自治区举办。第22 届“环湖赛”，是升级为国际自行车联盟（UnionCycliste Internationale，UCI）职业系列赛后的首届比赛。相较于过去的比赛，本届赛事的规模与奖励都有所提升。因此，比赛得到了更多的关注，吸引了13 个国家和地区的22 支队伍（共计154 名运动员）前来参赛，其中包括5 支职业队、14 支洲际队和3 支国家队。

Since its inception in 2002， this race has been afixture on the calendar between June and August. Itprimarily unfolds around Qinghai Lake， extendinginto the neighboring provinces of Gansu and theNingxia Hui Autonomous Region. This year markeda significant milestone as it attained professionalevent status recognized by the Union CyclisteInternationale （UCI）. This upgrade led to a largerscale and more substantial rewards and， in turn，increased attention. A total of 22 teams， comprising154 athletes from 13 countries and regions，including 5 professional teams， 14 continentalteams， and 3 national teams， competed in the race.

“环湖赛”向来以其“高难度”而闻名。这是世界上海拔最高的国际性公路自行车赛，具有高海拔、长距离、多爬坡、低氧环境等特点，使比赛具有极高的挑战性。比赛共分为八个赛段，总距离为1 384 公里，赛段总长度为1 294 公里。比赛路段平均海拔在3 000 米以上，最高点位于大冬树山垭口，海拔为4 120 米，沿途落差高达1 800 米。这些极端条件，对运动员的体能和毅力而言，都是极其巨大的挑战。

The race is renowned for its high level ofdifficulty. With its challenging combination of highaltitudes， extensive distances， steep hill climbs，and low-oxygen environments， it stands as one ofthe most demanding international road cyclingcompetitions. The race spans eight stages， coveringa total distance of 1，384 kilometers and aggregatelengths of 1，294 kilometers. Cyclists contend withan average altitude of over 3，000 meters， reachingthe race’s highest point at the Dadongshu MountainPass at 4，120 meters. Throughout their journey，they encounter elevation differences of up to1，800 meters. These harsh conditions push theirendurance and resilience to the utmost limits.

赛场上，身穿各色队服的自行车赛手们，紧握车把手，俯下身子，双脚发力，有节奏地蹬着踏板。他们为了荣誉，也为了自我超越，在赛道上你追我赶，破风骑行。他们一次次技巧的展现、一次次策略的博弈、一次次意志的碰撞，点燃了全场观众的热情。经历了八天上千公里的精彩角逐，最终，来自意大利巴迪亚尼车队的81 号车手穆鲁布兰（Muluebrhan Henok）锁定了总成绩第一的位置。在赛后接受采访时，他说：“今天的比赛在后程时很困难，最后一公里的时候我很努力地追赶，我很开心能够获得黄衫（第一名）。除了平时要进行刻苦的训练，团队协作也是非常重要的。我觉得赛事组织得很好，也很有高海拔体育的竞技特色，有机会我还会来参加。”

On the racetrack， cyclists donning an array ofjerseys firmly grip their handlebars， lean forward，and pedal with rhythmic determination. They arein relentless pursuit of personal triumph and honor，slicing through the air as they race against oneanother. The crowd watches with great enthusiasmas they witness the cyclists’ technical prowess，strategic gameplay， and clashes of will. After anintense 8-day competition covering thousands ofkilometers， Muluebrhan Henok from Italy’s Green Project-Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè team， sporting thenumber 81 jersey， emerged as the overall winner. Ina post-race interview， he shared， “The competitionwas incredibly tough in the latter part of today’srace. I gave it my all in the final kilometer， and I amso happy to win the yellow jersey （the top spot）.Beyond hard training， teamwork was crucial. Imust say， the event was impeccably organized andshowcased the unique challenges of high-altitudesports competitions. If given the opportunity， Iwould participate again.”

比赛的冠军虽然只有一个，但胜利应属于每一位参加比赛、坚持到最后一刻的赛手。运动员们在这个高原场地上竞赛，时刻在与艰苦的环境战斗着：缺氧、高原反应、低温、大雾、路滑、漫长的山路坡道……他们克服种种困难，获得了意志的磨炼与自我的实现。一位领队在采访中告诉笔者：骑行最开始的目的是锻炼身体，但后来逐渐发现自己很热爱这项运动，而且身边也不乏一些像他一样热爱这项运动的人。他每年都会设定目标绕湖骑行，虽然已经过了参赛的最佳年龄，但对这项运动的热爱是不会消失的，骑行也会一直坚持下去！

While there can only be one champion，victory belongs to every athlete who takes partand perseveres until the finish line. On this highaltitudecourse， they continuously battle harshconditions such as oxygen deprivation， altitudesickness， frigid temperatures， thick fog， slipperyroads， and steep and long mountain slopes. Byconquering these formidable challenges， theynot only fortify their determination but also findpersonal fulfillment. One team leader shared thathe initially took up cycling to improve his physicalfitness， but over time， he developed a passion forthe sport and discovered a welcoming communityof fellow enthusiasts. Every year， he set the goal tocycle around the lake， and even though he may havepassed the prime age for competitive cycling， his passion for cycling remains undiminished， fuelinghis ongoing pursuit of the sport.

比赛不仅让选手们热血沸腾，也点燃了场外观众们的热情。本次赛事首次实现了全程电视直播，热爱自行车赛的人们不用千里迢迢赶往青海，也能够观看到选手们的精彩表现。

The competition didn’t just set the athletes’pulses racing; it also ignited a fiery passion amongspectators. This year， for the first time， the event wasbroadcast live on television， allowing cycling fans toexperience the electrifying atmosphere without theneed to travel thousands of miles to Qinghai.

與此同时，前来观赛的群众络绎不绝，西宁市的重要路段和十字路口人潮涌动、气氛热烈，整座城市也沉浸在节日般的欢乐中。比赛的第一赛段“绕城赛”，参赛者需环绕城市赛道骑行100 公里左右，这是最能吸引运动爱好者和当地居民观看的赛段。当比赛车队一次次飞驰而过，百名选手佩戴头盔，穿着五颜六色的骑行服，风驰电掣般从加油呐喊的围观群众面前骑过，那场景着实令人惊叹。

Meanwhile， a steady stream of spectatorsflocked to the event， and the streets of Xiningcity buzzed with excitement on key roads and atintersections. The spirit of festive joy could befelt in every corner of the city. The initial stage，known as the “city circuit race，” took place alonga winding 100-kilometer urban track， attractinga diverse crowd of sports enthusiasts and localsalike. Athletes， dressed in colorful cycling gear andhelmets， raced by as onlookers cheered them on，captivated by a display of strength and speed.

比赛沿线，当地的少数民族群众同样热情洋溢。青海省互助县为土族居民聚居区，当地人穿着五彩斑斓的民族服装，拿出自产的青稞酒来迎接参赛的骑手。他们在公路旁跳舞、喝酒，为自行车赛手们加油助威。

Along the race route， local ethnic communities also showed heartwarming enthusiasm. In HuzhuCounty， which is predominantly inhabited by theTu ethnic group， residents adorned themselves intheir most vibrant traditional attire， greeted thecyclists with homemade barley wine， and expressedtheir genuine support for the racers through dancesand cheers.

在青海湖畔海晏地區的藏族聚居区，当地的藏族人骑着马，举着国旗，自发地在自行车车道旁陪跑一段，一路欢呼，场面非常壮观。

In the Haiyan region， which is predominantlyTibetan and located near Qinghai Lake， residentsenthusiastically joined cyclists on horseback， wavingChina’s national flags as they galloped alongside.Their hearty cheers created a magnificent and aweinspiringscene.

本次比赛的路程经过精心设计，几乎囊括了各种不同比赛地形，展示了青海湖环湖各地的美丽风光，兼具挑战性与观赏性，使参赛者与观赛者都能在比赛沿途一览美丽风光。例如，从互助到门源的赛段有着青海著名的油菜花花海，选手们可以穿行于上百亩金黄色的油菜花田间，一边骑行，一边享受自然的芬芳。 又如，第七赛段从西海镇到共和是最贴近青海湖的一个赛段，选手们进入青海湖环湖公路，可以领略到广阔、湛蓝的青海湖风光。

The entire route has been carefully planned totraverse various terrains， allowing participants andonlookers to experience the beauty surroundingQinghai Lake while facing a challenging yetpicturesque journey. For example， the stretchfrom Huzhu to Menyuan showcases the renownedQinghai rapeseed flower fields. Cyclists can pedalthrough hundreds of acres of golden rapeseed fields，enjoying the natural fragrance as they ride. Anotherhighlight is the seventh stage from Xihai Town toGonghe County， which offers the closest proximity to Qinghai Lake. As athletes race along the QinghaiLake Ring Road， they are treated to expansive， azureviews of the lake itself.

比赛的最后一段要经过著名的“天空之镜”—茶卡盐湖。盐湖透明澄澈，倒映着天空；盐滩洁净如雪，好像天上的白云。骑手们经过此处，犹如飞鸟般无拘无束，翱翔于广阔的天地之间。

As the race nears its conclusion， cyclists willmake their way through the renowned “Mirrorof the Sky” — Chaka Salt Lake. The lake boastsastonishing clarity， reflecting the vastness of thesky with pristine shores resembling white cloudssuspended in the heavens. During this moment，athletes will experience an overwhelming sense offreedom， as if they were about to soar into the sky.

比赛沿线中，在湛蓝天空的映衬下，黄、白、蓝、绿……各种颜色汇聚，好似一幅幅绚丽的油画。

The race unfolds under an azure sky， wherea vibrant array of colors — yellow， white， blue，and green — blend harmoniously， creating scenesreminiscent of magnificent oil paintings.

青海湖国际公路自行车赛的举办， 不仅向人们传达了一种体育竞技精神，也向世界展现了青海独一无二的美丽风景，展示了多年来青海人坚持生态保护的努力和结果，同时也传递了“绿色” “环保”的理念，体现了一种健康的生活方式—人与自然的和谐。

The Qinghai Lake International Road CyclingRace not only embodies the spirit of competitivesport but also showcases Qinghai’s distinctivebeauty to the world. It is a testament to the region’ssustained efforts in ecological conservation.Moreover， it champions the principles of greenliving and environmental stewardship， encouraginga healthy lifestyle that highlights harmony betweenhumanity and nature.