Vietnam women’s cycling races earn UCI 2.2 status for first time

The Biwase Tour of Vietnam 2026 and the Ho Chi Minh City International Women’s Cycling Race – Biwase Cup 2026 will be held from March 4 to March 14.

This year marks the first time both races have been recognized by the UCI as 2.2-level international events.

A total of 11 stages covering more than 1,300 km will be contested.

The five-stage Biwase Tour of Vietnam will start in Ho Chi Minh City and finish in Da Lat, Lam Dong Province.

The Ho Chi Minh City International Women’s Cycling Race – Biwase Cup will then run from Da Lat back to Binh Duong Ward in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ngo Van Lui, head of the organizing committee of the Biwase Tour of Vietnam 2026, said the race’s continued presence on the UCI calendar reflected growth in scale and organization.

The combined events will feature 22 domestic and international teams.

Vietnam will field seven teams, including Biwase, Nuoc Kiem Ion Gold Biwase, Vinama–Ho Chi Minh City, Loc Troi Group, Dong Thap Lottery, 620 Chau Thoi–Vinh Long, and Military Region 7.

Fifteen overseas teams will compete from Australia, Spain, Norway, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Some club teams also include riders from Russia, Japan, and Morocco.

Nguyen Ngoc Vu, secretary general of the Vietnam Cycling and Motor Sports Federation, said organizers selected teams from a larger pool of international applicants.

He said participating teams include Hitec Products–Fluid Control of Norway, XDS China Women Cycling and Lining Star Ladies of China, Pafgio Dema Cycling of Spain, and the national teams of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Thailand.

The XDS China Women Cycling team will bring Asian champion Zhang Hao to the event, Vu said.

Vietnamese teams have also strengthened their squads, with Biwase, Loc Troi Group An Giang, and Vinama Ho Chi Minh City recruiting riders from Russia and Japan, according to the organizers.

The inclusion of both races as UCI 2.2 events provides opportunities for local riders to compete against international teams under the global governing body’s ranking system.