GENEVA - The world cycling governing body UCI approved on Friday that the "Tour of Hangzhou" would be added to 2012 UCI WorldTour series.

The decision was approved during the UCI Professional Cycling Council (PCC) met in Geneva, Switzerland on Feb 9-10. The five stage event would run from Wednesday to Sunday during the week following the 2012 Tour of Beijing.

"It would be held in the area surrounding Hangzhou, a city with a population of 8.7 million in southern China. It would thus become the 29th event of the UCI WorldTour calendar. It would also be the fifth to be held outside Europe after the Tour of Beijing, the Tour Down Under in Australia and the GP Cycliste de Quebec and the GP Cycliste de Montreal in Canada," said UCI on its website.

Hangzhou is the capital city of China's southeastern Zhejiang province.