Vietnamese Bicycle Racers to Detour across Laos

HCM-CITY, Vietnam (Feb 15) - One of Vietnam’s popular bicycle races is to see its route extended to neighboring Laos this April, said a top official. Nguyen Hong, vice president of the Vietnam Cycling Federation cum manager of Ho Chi Minh Television (HTV)’s sports division told Tuoi Tre newspaper that his TV station’s Bicycle Open Racing Cup 2006 would allow its entrants to race four laps in five days in Laos. The 2,300km race constitutes 19 laps and starts from Hanoi April 9 through Laos to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30, the anniversary of the city’s liberation. The competitors will have a cultural exchange April 15 with the Laotians on the Boun Pimai festival of Lao New Year, which will be broadcast live on local and Vietnamese channels. An approach between Laos and Vietnam has been on the horizon for some time, and it seems that sports might play a vital role here. There is also the matter of cross-border production of bicycles, which gives this bike race some extra flair…