On this occasion, Nguyen Ngoc Vu, Secretary General of the Vietnam Cycling Federation granted an interview to the People's Army Newspaper regarding the professional quality and significance of the tournament.
Reporter: What significance does this tournament hold within the system of cycling competitions in Vietnam, sir?
Nguyen Ngoc Vu: Every time it is organized, the cycling tournament hosted by the People's Army Newspaper always brings excitement to athletes and professionals like us. The leadership of the Department of Sports and Physical Training under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism highly appreciates the significance of the tournament. It's not only a sports competition, but also a socio-political event aimed at educating the youth and the public about revolutionary traditions. Not only the teams involved, but also cycling enthusiasts actively back this tournament.
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Cyclists competing in the "Return to Dien Bien Phu - 2019, People's Army Newspaper Cup" cycling tournament |
As part of the tournament, the Vietnam Cycling Federation will organize a companion cycling event from Hanoi City to Dien Bien City, with 300 amateur cyclists registered. We have closed the registration due to the high demand, fearing that we wouldn't be able to ensure appropriate conditions related to food and accommodations for them. Some even offered to pay just to buy a jersey with the logo of the cycling tournament on.
Reporter: After the 36th Ho Chi Minh City Television Cycling Tournament - HTV Cup concluded, many cyclists immediately traveled to Hanoi to participate in the "Return to Dien Bien Phu – 2024, People's Army Newspaper Cup" cycling tournament. Does this affect the tournament's quality, sir?
Nguyen Ngoc Vu: The Vietnam Cycling Federation has organized a meeting and collected opinions from team leaders to find the best solution to ensure the athletes' stamina. For example, the first stage, which involves cycling around Hoan Kiem Lake, was shortened to help cyclists get accustomed to the tournament. In the second stage, the organizers will arrange for cyclists to start from Van Ho district (Son La province) to Son La city, instead of racing from Mai Chau (Hoa Binh province) to Son La city as before. Athletes and teams are excited to participate in the "Return to Dien Bien Phu – 2024, People's Army Newspaper Cup." Since the destination is associated with the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, I don't think stamina will be a major concern for the athletes.
Reporter: What is the biggest challenge that cyclists face in this tournament?
Nguyen Ngoc Vu: The 36th Ho Chi Minh City Television Cycling Tournament - HTV Cup started from Dien Bien Phu and ended in Ho Chi Minh City without any mountainous stages. However, one of the typical features of the "Return to Dien Bien Phu – 2024, People's Army Newspaper Cup" cycling tournament is the mountainous terrain, including conquering Cun Pass, Thung Khe Pass, and Pha Din Pass.
These are the areas where our predecessors once marched during the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Now, cyclists will have the opportunity to brave these challenging mountain passes, which will give them a sense of historical significance and pride in our nation's revolutionary traditions.
Reporter: What are your expectations for the "Return to Dien Bien Phu – 2024, People's Army Newspaper Cup" cycling tournament?
Nguyen Ngoc Vu: In the 36th Ho Chi Minh City Television Cycling Tournament - HTV Cup, it is evident that foreign athletes outperform our athletes in terms of physique, stamina, and climbing abilities. Nonetheless, this event serves as a platform for domestic cyclists, featuring 70 athletes from 10 teams across the country.
This is a significant difference and an opportunity for Vietnamese cyclists to compete, helping professionals have an accurate assessment of the athletes’ abilities and invest properly in Vietnamese cycling before joining international competitions. I believe the "Return to Dien Bien Phu – 2024, People's Army Newspaper Cup" tournament will be a fair competition, with exciting battles, to give fans an accurate view of the current strength of the Vietnamese cycling.
Reporter: Thank you!
Translated by Trung Thanh