While this weekend marks the resumption of the German Bundesliga soccer championship in Europe, the Trinh Cup Truyen Hinh, also known as the HTV Cup, is the first bicycle race to be held since the Covid 19 pandemic.

The race will start on Tuesday, May 19 in Vinh, northern Vietnam, to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the birth of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. The 18-stage event will run through June 7.

"The people here in Vietnam are very happy that Cycling News announced the race last week," said Javier Salda Perez, defending champion from Spain with Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh. 5] "Normally, races in Vietnam are only reported nationally, but the fact that this news was reported in many countries and in several languages has brought a lot of attention to the HTV Cup. I myself was asked by Spanish national radio to do an interview, and I answered many journalists who wanted to know about the cycling and sanitation situation in Vietnam."

State broadcaster Ho Chi Minh TV, the driving force behind the event, contacted international journalists, including Cycling News, and asked them how they heard about the HTV Cup. Cycling fans are familiar with races such as Le Tour de Langkawi in China, Japan, and sometimes Malaysia, but Vietnam's racing scene remains a closed market, despite the fact that 10 stage races are held annually by many local professional teams. However, none of them are registered with the UCI.

At the last Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines in December 2019, Vietnam finished third behind Thailand and the Philippines in the number of medals won in cycling, with Nguyen Thi That winning the women's road race. Vietnamese athletes perform well as they get a rare chance to secure international exposure. Nguyen Hoang Sang of Bike Life Dong Nai is a recent example. He finished fourth at the Tour of Selangor in Malaysia in December and seventh at the Cambodia Bay Cycling Tour this past January.

For once, no other races are allowed due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and the HTV Cup will be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube, so Vietnamese cyclists will be watched by cycling fans around the world. Leading the return to racing in Asia is the Thailand Track Cup, scheduled for June 13-14 at the Hua Mark Velodrome in Bangkok

.

The 84 peloton of the HTV Cup is already on its way to Vinh, Nghê An province. From the north, the race will visit 15 provinces in 20 days before heading south to Ho Chi Minh City for the grand finale.

The race celebrates the reunification of the country in 1976; last year, when the 30th anniversary was celebrated, 30 stages took place over the entire month of April; Covid-19 has postponed this year's race, as May 19 marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, and a record zero deaths during the outbreak It is a symbolic day for the country, which recorded no deaths during the outbreak.

Teams have been filmed training on time trial bikes before the HTV Cup, and a 48 km team time trial is scheduled for stage 13 in Nha Trang.

The opening four stages are fairly flat and begin with a criterium in Vinh. There will also be five shorter criterium stages, all of which will be broadcast live on television. Stages 5, 9, 10, 14, and 15 are the most difficult. Beginning with stage 5, Deo High Van (9km, 5.4%), there will be a total of 11 extreme hills in the 18 stages. The finale of stage 14 features a 1km stretch of 11% slopes. Stage 15 will be a queen stage that will take the riders from the beach into the mountains, with the 16.5 km long Goan Muc Pass and the 7.2 km long Puleng Pass.

"The top of the last climb is only 2 km from the finish line," explained Salda, who chose Dalat for his pre-race training camp.

May 19, Stage 1: Vong Quang Truong, 52km

May 20, Stage 2: Gueang - Quang Binh, 199km

May 21, Stage 3: Quang Binh - Hue, 162km

May 22, Stage 4: Hue, 42km

May 23, Stage 5: Hué-Danang, 113km

May 24, Stage 6: Danang-Tam Ky, 130km

May 26, Stage 7: Vonh Thanh Phô Tam Ky, 50km

May 27, Stage 8: Tam Ky, 42km

May 23, Stage 5: Hué-Danang, 113km [22 May 27, Stage 8: Tam Ky - Qui Nhon, 230km

May 28, Stage 9: Qui Nhon - Pleiku, 167km

May 29, Stage 10: Pleiku - Buon Metort, 180km

May 30, Stage 11: Buonmétoto, 50km

May 31, Stage 12: Buonmétoto - Nha Trang, 190km

June 2, Stage 13: Nha Trang, 48km (TTT)

June 3, Stage 14: Nha Trang - Phang Lang, 135km

June 4, Stage 15: Phan Rang - Dalat, 123km

June 5, Stage 16: Dalat, 51km

June 6, Stage 17: Dalat - Bao Loc, 110km

June 7, Stage 18: Bao Loc - Ho Chi Minh City, 163km

.