XINING -- The ongoing 11th Tour de Qinghai Lake international cycling race has for the first time seen foreign faces in Chinese teams, which, as the race's chief designer contends, will help professionalize the country's cycling sports.

Among the five Chinese cycling teams competing in the Tour de Qinghai Lake that kicked off Friday, three have invited professional cyclists from countries like Australia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan, with foreign names accounting for almost half of each team's list of riders.

"A changed notion has started to set in that every possible means, bringing in international stars included, should be embraced to enhance the competence of Chinese cycling teams," said Feng Jianping, head of the Qinghai Sports Bureau and who is in charge of organizing the race.

According to Feng, a total of 154 cyclists from seven International Cycling Union (UCI) pro-continental teams and 15 UCI continental teams have been accepted to the fortnight-long tour, culminating the race in terms of riders' proficiency.

A record high of five Chinese cycling teams have taken the stage, including Qinghai Tianyoude Cycling Team, one of the country's first continental teams registered with the UCI, and Champion System Pro Cycling Team (CSS), the first Asian-based UCI professional continental team founded in Hong Kong earlier this year.

"The distance between the Tour de Qinghai Lake and the Tour de France has been constantly narrowing," Feng Jianping said. "If the Tour de France can be compared to the 8,848-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma, the Tour de Qinghai Lake has risen above 8,000 meters."

This year's tour will feature 13 stages spanning northwest China's Qinghai Province, Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The UCI has approved over 160 multi-day races in 2012, and 13 stages make the Tour de Qinghai Lake an exception among the 20 continental races that are required not to have stages over 10.

The Tour de Qinghai Lake, which is held annually, will cover 2,680 kilometers this year, with the average altitude reaching 2,391 meters above sea level and the maximum altitude standing at 3,865 meters.