The 2013 Cycling Cup organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) will have competitors run along the coastline of Vietnam in April, with total value of prizes being doubled this year to VND1 billion (US$48,000).

The 16-stage tournament will start in Hanoi on April 13 and end in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30 to celebrate the Liberation Day.

Besides running along the backbone highway from north to south with a total length of almost 2,000km, cyclists will also attend two sprints in the central cities of Da Nang and Hue to promote the beauty of marine landscapes of the nation.

In Hue, cyclists will pedal 15 rounds around the royal palace with a total length of 42km. The race also runs on newly-inaugurated iconic bridges Rong (Dragon) and Song Han (Han River) of Da Nang.

It is aimed to film nice images of islands and seas of Vietnam.

Prizes almost double from last year -- with VND100 million ($4,800) for the yellow jersey winner, VND60 million for men’s team title, and VND40 million each for green and red jerseys.