The 4th Tour de Qinghai Lake International Cycling Race, the top of its kind in Asia, started in northwest China's Qinghai Province on Saturday.

The 4th Tour de Qinghai Lake will last from July 16th to 24th, covering 9 stages, 1,360.4 kilometers in total. Twenty teams from five continents attend this year's race.

The opening ceremony was held in the reputed ancient lamasery-Gumbum Lamasery, near the capital city of Qinghai.

Tour de Qinghai Lake is held annually since 2002. In 2004, it rose to the top road cycling race in Asia.

In the race, the athletes cycle at an average altitude above 2, 200 meters around the Qinghai Lake in Qinghai Province, whihch is the largest inland saltwater lake in China.

Source: Xinhua