Le Tour pedaling its way into China's affections

Like any sport hoping to gain a larger mainstream profile here, targeting young people is key.

With that in mind, the AG2R La Mondiale team visited the esteemed Pudong Sports School, which has produced around 40 Olympic athletes since it was established in 1972.

The team's top riders, including French climbing powerhouse Romain Bardet, met with 23 of the school's budding cyclists, aged 10-16.

"I am very impressed by the skill and passion the young Chinese athletes showed us," said Bardet, a winner of three Tour stages and runner-up to Britain's Chris Froome in the overall classification in 2016.

"They are very well conditioned, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them compete on the World Tour and even Le Tour de France one day."

A planned new sports park in Shanghai, funded by ASO and Activation Group and featuring professional tracks that simulate road conditions from abroad, could blossom into another breeding ground for potential worldbeaters.

Meanwhile, Activation and sports administrators believe Le Tour's stopover in the city will one day become as high-profile as the Shanghai International Marathon.

"I'm thrilled to see more people apply for the L'Etape competition through our official WeChat account," said Zhou.

"But it's a long-term project. The hugely popular Shanghai International Marathon, for example, has been with us for 12 years now."

Luo Wenhua, deputy director of the Sports Bureau of Shanghai, agreed.

"The event has had great influence since it debuted in 2017," said Luo.

"This year's was an upgrade and we are confident it can play a massive role in consolidating Shanghai's status as a premium sports city."