The Binh Duong International Women's Cycling Tournament – Biwase Cup 2016 – kicked off in the southern province of Binh Duong on March 8.
The event, the sixth of its kind, attracted the participation of 67 cyclists from eight local teams and six foreign teams from Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Kazakhstan.
The tournament will cover 795km across nine stages through Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan, before finishing in Binh Duong province.
It will conclude on March 16 with the individual winner walking away with 30 million VND (1,333 USD) while the winning team will pocket 20 million VND (888.8 USD).
After the opening ceremony, the cyclists participated in the 66-km first stage. Nguyen Thi That from Vietnam’s Loc Troi An Giang Group team won the stage, followed by Thailand’s Supuksorn Nuntana.
Last year's tournament drew 70 cyclists from 11 local teams and three foreign teams from Thailand, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.
According to organisers, the annual tour aims to give local cyclists a good opportunity to hone their skills and learn from foreign competitors in preparation for international competitions.
VNA