The Tour of Taihu Lake 2016 got underway on Nov 6, with 22 professional cycling teams from five continents setting off from Lihu Lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu province for the first stage.

Cyclists from five different continents set off from beside Lihu Lake in Wuxi's Binhu district in the first stage of the Tour of Taihu Lake on Nov 6. [Photo/wxrb.com]

The annual cycling event, which is being held for the seventh time this year, consists of six day-long stages each held in a different city near Taihu Lake, namely Wuxi, Suzhou, Changzhou, Nantong and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province, and Huzhou in Zhejiang province. The final stage will take place on Nov 12.

The teams faced a grueling 112-kilometer course in Wuxi on the first day of the tour, which passed by many of the city's scenic spots including Lihu Lake, Shuanghong Bridge and Mashan Mountain.

Mareczko Jakub crosses the line in first place during the first stage of the Tour of Taihu Lake in Wuxi on Nov 6. [Photo/wxrb.com]

Jakub Mareczko from Italy took the crown on day one, followed by Nicolas?Marini from Italy and Marco Zanott from the Netherlands in second and third places.

Mareczko Jakub (center), Marini Nicolas (right) and Zanotti Marco (left) celebrate finishing in first, second and third place respectively in the first stage of the Tour of Taihu Lake. [Photo/wxrb.com]

Wuxi also took advantage of the race to demonstrate its thriving sports and fitness projects to the media, with the course passing by many qigong shows, tai chi performances and square dances.

The Tour of Taihu Lake has become one of China's four most influential road cycling events. The event is now recognized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and there is total prize money of $30,000 up for grabs in this year's race.

Initiated by Wuxi in 2010, the activity is expected to develop into a high-level event with an international profile in the future.

Cyclists race along the smooth course during the first stage of the Tour of Taihu Lake in Wuxi on Nov 6. [Photo/wxrb.com]