2012 is a thing of the past. A year of splendid races has satisfied cycling fans. Over the past year, the level of domestic cycling has rapidly improved, and people's attention to cycling events has also greatly increased. In 2013, BIKETO Cycling Network will invest unprecedented manpower and material resources to bring you even more exciting race reports.

　　Below, BIKETO will list several of the most noteworthy domestic and international events in January 2013.

　　 International Events:

　　 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup

　　Time: January 6th; January 20th

　　Location: Rome, Italy; Hoogerheide, Netherlands

　　As the road racing season winds down, the cyclo-cross season heats up. The 12/13 season UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup will hold two events in January: Rome, Italy on the 6th and Hoogerheide, Netherlands on the 20th. The Hoogerheide event is the final race of the World Cup, and the overall champion will be announced after the race. Currently, Belgian riders occupy the top three positions in the world rankings, and the overall champion is likely to be Niels ALBERT or Sven NYS.

　　 Xup Australia's Freeride Festival

　　Time: January 18th-20th

　　Location: Central Coast (NSW), Australia

　　Freeride enthusiasts shouldn't miss the first stop of the 2013 FMB World Tour – the Xup Festival in Australia! Located in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia enjoys summer in January, and many major events are held there during this time. The Xup Festival will include numerous activities and competitions, including BMX Dirt Jump, Trick, and Slopestyle. Several Red Bull Rampage riders will also compete.

　　 Santos Tour Down Under

　　Time: January 22nd-27th

　　At the end of January, the UCI World Tour (WT) will also kick off! The first race – the Tour Down Under – will take place in the hot southern part of Australia. This is the only WT race before March, and the heat of Australia will inject a different kind of energy into riders who are in their winter training period. After this race, the road racing season will return to Europe and enter the Classics stage. According to the already announced participant list, Philippe Gilbert, Boasson Hagen, and De Gendt will lead their respective teams; the local team GreenEDGE will also compete for honor. Andy Schleck, who was injured for a long time last season, may participate in the Tour Down Under. We hope his first race of the season goes smoothly.

　　 Domestic Events:

　　 Guangdong First Peak Bicycle Marathon

　　Time: January 13th

　　Location: Yangshan, Qingyuan, Guangdong First Peak Scenic Area

　　Currently, amateur cycling events in China are booming, with multiple races almost every week during the summer and autumn, while winter races are mainly concentrated in the south. These amateur races usually have mass participation groups, making them suitable for amateur cyclists to experience the fun of competition. The most noteworthy amateur race in January is the hill climb race at Guangdong First Peak. This race is 38 kilometers long, with climbing throughout, and a total elevation gain of over 1700 meters! This elevation gain would be considered an HC-level climb even in the Tour de France. Amateur cyclists who want to experience a Tour de France-level climb should pay attention to this race.

　　 Shishan Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cycling Race

　　Time: January 13th

　　Location: Shishan Town, Nanhai University Town, Foshan

　　Nanhai Shishan University Town in Foshan is a beautiful place, and it will host a major amateur cycling race. Because this race coincides with the First Peak race, a large portion of amateur experts will be diverted. The race is divided into mountain biking and road cycling categories. The mountain biking category has a special university student group to encourage local university students to participate. This race is free to enter, but the total prize money is as high as 144,000 yuan. The prize money for the top eight in the open group is over 1,000 yuan, which will be very tempting for amateur cyclists aiming for prize money.

　　 Editor: jewels