BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Following are the factbox on the cycling road course at the Beijing Olympic Games:

    Location:

    Startline is in Yongdingmen. Finishline is in Juyongguan.

    Introduction:

    The mass start road cycling race starts at Yongdingmen Gate, runs through Tian qiao, Temple of Heaven, the Great Hall of the People, Tian'anmen Square, Changpu river park, Imperial Palace Wall Relics Park, Shatan, the Lama temple, Temple of Land, the Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Palace, Olympic Sports Center, the bird's nest(national stadium),and the Beijing Olympic Tower, Zhongguancun High-tech District, Peking University, the Yuanmingyuan Park, Ju yongguan Great Wall, Badaling Great wall. The finishing point is located at the Juyongguan Pass, Ming tomb special region of Changping District. The length of the course is 102.6 kimometers with the elevation change of 610.468 meters.

    Yongdingmen Gate, the largest among 7 gates in the outer city of Beijing, was started building during Ming dynasty in 1553. In Chinese Yongdingmen means "keeping peace for ever". However, it took 215 years to finish the construction until the ruling period of Qianlong Emperor. In the recent years, Yongdingmen Gate has been reconstructed. Now it is located at the south of the central road of Beijing. On its south is South 2nd Ring; on its west is Xiannongtan; on its east is the temple of heaven region and the Tianqiao region on its north.

    Juyongguan Pass is located at the Ming tomb special region in Changping district, 60 km away from Beijing Center, 23KM away from Badaling Pass. The west side of the Juyongguan is the exit of Badaling highway spanning across the 216 provincial roads. It is famous because of its strategic significance and had been called " the most Significant Pass in China" and given a wonderful name of " Juyong Green Layers" by Qianlong Emperor in Qing Dynasty. Now it has become the top one of "Yanjing Eight Best Sceneries"

    There is a finely carved marble named Cloud Platform at the center of Juyongguan Pass. An arch gateway is underneath the Cloud Platform. Both sides of the arch gateway are decorated with carvings of Buddha, four Celestial Kings, and the text of a Buddhist Sutra in Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit and three other minority languages. The Cloud Platform is of so high artic and scientific value that it has joined the World Heritage List.

    Distance from:

    First: Olympic Village

    - To Cycle stadium site 24 kilometers

    - To Start area Road Race 24km

    - To Finish area Road Race 42km

    - To Training circuit 42km

    Second: Main Press Centre (MPC)

    - To Finish area Road Race 42km

    Third: International Broadcasters Centre (IBC)

    - To Finish area Road Race 42km

    Year of first sports event: Test Event Road Cycling Beijing 2008 (18-19.08.2007)

    Past major international events: Test Event Road Cycling Beijing 2008 (18-19.08.2007)

    Altitude average: 350 meters