SHANGHAI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Lorena Wiebes of the Netherlands led after the 102.7km first stage of 2019 Tour of Chongming Island here on Thursday.
The Dutch woman took the yellow shirt with an overall time of two hours, 29 minutes and 29 seconds in the race, the 10th stop of 2019 Women's World Tour and the first of eight multi-day events.
The green and white shirts also went to her, which mark the best rider of the individual points and the best under 23 rider.
"The racetrack in Chongming is flat, making it easier for me to race. The audiences are also very enthusiastic. I really enjoy racing here," Wiebes said.
A total of 99 riders from 18 teams are competing in three stages for a total distance of 347.7km.
Stage 1 is a round trip starting and ending at New City Park in western Chongming. Stage 2, which is the longest, will cover a distance of 126.6 kilometers from Changxing to Chongming, and Stage 3, a circuit race, will cover 118.4 kilometers.
"I am very pleased to see a UCI event here, especially an event for women. I am very excited to cheer the girls," said Richard Brian, a tourist from cycling industry.
