'Double the pressure, half the difficulty'

Among the hundreds of athletes present in Quang Tri to participate in the "Cycling Festival for Peace " organized by Quang Tri province in collaboration with Thanh Nien Newspaper, there are athletes who are members of the same family. Mr. Tran Cong Binh and his son Tran Cong Man are such a special pair of athletes. Cong Man is also one of the youngest athletes participating in the "Peaceful Destination" cycling race within the framework of this "Cycling Festival for Peace".

Father and son Tran Cong Binh and Tran Cong Man

On the afternoon of June 28, father and son traveled from Da Nang to Dong Ha city (Quang Tri province) to prepare. The luggage they brought along certainly could not be without 2 sturdy bicycles, each costing around 70 million VND.

Mr. Binh said he started practicing mountain biking more than 5 years ago, and his son just started playing at the beginning of 2023. The cycling movement in Da Nang city where his family lives is developing quite strongly. This is a sport that is not restricted by time, does not depend on the field or requires playing with friends, so many people choose it to both exercise and travel to many lands.

"My family is very supportive of this passion of my father and son because investing in sports is like investing in health. I invest as much as I have. For example, the price of each car for my father and I is from 60 to 70 million VND. The accompanying items and accessories such as hats, clothes, shoes, etc. cost around a few million VND," Mr. Binh shared.

Trailer for Cycling Day for Peace

Binh and his son practice before the Cycling for Peace Festival

Despite his young age, Tran Cong Man has had experience participating in many amateur cycling races in many provinces and cities, and in every race, his father accompanied him. Cong Man also set a goal of being in the top 10 athletes in the men's category (aged 18 - 39).

Competing alone is already stressful, competing with family is even more stressful as you have to cycle and worry about your companions.

"In cycling, it is difficult to avoid injuries, so I will try to limit them as much as possible. I have passed on all my experiences over the past 5 years to my son, and my family only participates in tournaments where I trust the organizers to be reputable and ensure the safety of the athletes," said Tran Cong Binh.

"Participating in a tournament with my father at the same time is certainly a bit of pressure, but I completely trust in the experience my father has accumulated," said young athlete Tran Cong Man.

Although he has only started training for over a year, Tran Cong Man (red shirt) has had quite good results in amateur tournaments.

The Cycling for Peace Festival is not just a "game" for young and strong male athletes, but also has the participation of athletes of many other ages. There are up to 127 athletes registered to race in the over 51 category. Among them, the oldest athlete is Ung Samrach (73 years old, Ratanakiri Cycling Club, Cambodia). This festival also has 43 female athletes from within the country and abroad.

According to the schedule, the Cycling Festival for Peace will take place in 2 days. On June 29, at the Hien Luong - Ben Hai Relic Site (Vinh Linh District), all racers, delegates, and cycling enthusiasts regardless of gender or age will be able to participate in the parade. After saluting the flag at the Hien Luong border flagpole, the group will march 42 km along the route: starting from the Hien Luong - Ben Hai Special National Relic Site, crossing Hien Luong Bridge to Trung Son intersection (Gio Linh District), turning onto Provincial Road 76 and continuing to the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, then ending at Fidel Park (Dong Ha City).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hai-cha-con-tren-duong-dua-xe-dap-ap-luc-nhan-doi-kho-khan-se-nua-185240628232848528.htm