Themed as "Cycling and Encountering", the Desafío China by La Vuelta started on Saturday with three events - circuit race, team time trial and family fun ride, which were open to amateurs.

The circuit race and team time trial involved competitors covering five 5-kilometer laps to race in a total 26.2km route, while the family run ride was only a one-lap 5km race, which required to be completed within one hour.

Contador, as a symbol of the Spanish tour, visited the race camp at the Future Science City Sports Center in Changping to greet fans, sign autographs and promote the tour as an ambassador.

His presence has inspired greater fan following of the race on Chinese social media and raised expectations for the future of the iconic Spanish tour's outreach program in China.