Daochao Xie: A Rising Star at the 2025 Tour of Magnificent Qinghai—19-Year-Old Chinese Cyclist
- Cassie Lyu
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 27
In July 2025, on the highland tracks of the 24th “ICBC” Tour of Magnificent Qinghai International Road Cycling Race (commonly referred to as the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai), the name of a young Chinese rider repeatedly appeared among the leaders of the general classification—Daochao Xie, only 19 years old. As a first-time participant in this 2.Pro-level, high-altitude, and challenging international event, Xie finished 70th overall and ranked first among Chinese riders, making him one of the most surprising “dark horses” of the competition.
Before the fifth stage of the 2025 Tour of Magnificent Qinghai, a journalist from Qle.me interviewed the young cyclist. Daochao Xie admitted, “My original goal was just to finish the race. My current performance has far exceeded my expectations. In the remaining stages, I hope to push myself even harder, build on finishing the race, and improve my ranking.” As he anticipated, after eight stages, Xie not only successfully completed the race but also ranked first among Chinese riders, demonstrating remarkable adaptability and potential.
Just one week after the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai concluded, on July 19, 2025, Xie competed in the highest-level domestic mountain bike race—the 2025 National Mountain Bike Championships and National Youth Mountain Bike Championships—held in Zhaoyuan, Shandong. He won the silver medal in the men’s elite cross-country category, second only to the top rider Lü Xianjing. The event took place at the Chenjia Village Dahu Manor Cycling Training Base in Zhaoyuan, with a course length of 3.8 kilometers and an average track width of about 2 meters. The route passed through fields, forests, and gravel, featuring wooden ramps, stone obstacles, log barriers, bends, and high-speed descents, demanding comprehensive skills from all competitors.
From Mountain Bike Youth to Promising Professional
Daochao Xie (UCI ID: 10154799856), born on February 24, 2006, in Guizhou, grew up surrounded by mountains—a natural advantage for a future in mountain biking. Unlike his interest in academics, Xie’s passion and talent shone in sports. At age 15 or 16, he was selected through a sporting school recruitment process and, by chance, embarked on his cycling journey.
He began as a mountain biker, progressing from the Guizhou Zhengtu Cycling Club to the Guizhou Provincial Team, and joined the FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Continental Team in 2025 under the management of sport director Li Fuyu.
Though new to the professional scene, Xie has already achieved a series of notable results:
2025 National Mountain Bike Championships & National Youth Mountain Bike Championships, men’s elite cross-country, silver medalist
2025 “ICBC” 24th Tour of Magnificent Qinghai, 70th overall, 1st among Chinese riders
2025 Asian Mountain Bike Championships (Zunyi, Guizhou), U23 men’s cross-country, silver medalist
2024 China Mountain Bike Open (Changzhou Hengshanqiao), men’s open cross-country, champion
2024 China Mountain Bike Open (Changshan, Zhejiang), men’s open, champion
2023 First National Student (Youth) Games, men’s mountain bike cross-country, bronze medalist
2023 7th “Colorful Guizhou” Cycling League (Baili Dujuan), youth men’s, champion
2023 7th “Colorful Guizhou” Cycling League (Fuquan), road youth men’s, bronze medalist
FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Continental Team: China's Talent Incubator
Xie currently rides for the FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Continental Team, one of the most influential professional cycling teams in China. Registered with the UCI at the end of 2010, the team has continuously broken records in Chinese cycling. In the 2019 season, it became the first team with Chinese riders to win an individual general classification title at a 2.1 or above race in China.
The team is managed by sport director Li Fuyu, who previously rode for the Discovery Channel Team and RadioShack Team, and served as head coach of the Shandong Provincial Road Cycling Team from 2008 to 2022, accumulating over 32 years of training experience. The team is dedicated to providing opportunities for young Chinese riders to compete at a high level, building a positive sporting IP, and fostering sustainable development.
It is thanks in part to sport director Li Fuyu’s guidance that, despite being a newcomer to the FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Team, Xie was able to stand out at such a prestigious, high-altitude, and demanding international event as the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai.
During the second stage of the 2025 Tour of Magnificent Qinghai, team leader Jonas Rapp crashed on a first-category descent 29 kilometers from the finish and withdrew, ending the team’s hopes for a top overall placing. Following this, the team adjusted its strategy. With support from international teammates Māris Bogdanovičs, Cyrus Monk, and Ilya Karabutov, Xie maintained a consistent and impressive performance, staying within reach of the race leaders and ultimately achieving his goal of being the top-ranked Chinese rider.
Such top-level race experience has given this young rider confidence and valuable lessons. With the team’s nurturing and his own dedication, this Chinese rising star is sure to shine even brighter in the near future.
Conclusion
From the mountains of Guizhou to the highlands of Qinghai, from mountain bike trails to road racing circuits, Daochao Xie has proven his strength and potential in each and every competition. He represents the new generation of Chinese cycling and is a rising star forged in the “talent factory” of the FNIX-SCOM-Hengxiang Team. As he continues on the road ahead, we have every reason to expect that this young rider will keep riding the wind and waves, writing new chapters of glory.
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