15th National Games road cycling test event to be held on November 24 (with photo)
​The press conference for the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao road cycling race and road cycling test event for the 15th National Games (NG) was held in Zhuhai today (November 7). It was announced that the test event will be held on November 24.
Vice Mayor of the Zhuhai Municipal Government and Vice Chairperson of the Zhuhai Executive Committee of the 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), Mr Li Chong; the Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr Yeung Tak-keung; the Head of the Preparatory Office for the 15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG in Macao (the Preparatory Office in Macao), Mr Pun Weng-kun; and Deputy Director-General of the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Mr Yuan Xiong attended the press conference and introduced the details of the test event.
A men's individual race will be arranged for the test event and is scheduled to start at 9am on November 24, and is expected to conclude at 2.30pm. The event will feature 23 representative teams from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, with a total of 71 professional athletes competing. The race spans across Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao, covering a total distance of 230 kilometres, which comprises a 160.7km section in Zhuhai, a 55.8km section in Hong Kong and a 13.5km section in Macao.
During the press conference, Mr Yeung said that the NGCO in collaboration with relevant departments and organisations will provide full support for the race in Hong Kong section, including customs clearance management, traffic control, medical support, and emergency rescue services, to ensure the smooth conduct of the test event. The race will enter Hong Kong from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and go through the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island, North Lantau Highway and Penny's Bay Highway. The competing teams will return after passing by Hong Kong Disneyland and head back to Zhuhai via the HZMB and Hengqin. It is expected that the race will take place in Hong Kong for about 1.5 hours. Given the need for competing teams to enter and exit the HZMB Hong Kong Port during the test event, the NGCO will provide full support to the arrangements of Zhuhai and ensure that all event personnel, equipment and vehicles can smoothly pass through the HZMB Hong Kong Port during the race.
Mr Li said in the press conference that the race is the first national sports event that connects and integrates Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and it is also the only 15th NG event being arranged across the three places. The race will consolidate the exchange within and integration of the Greater Bay Area in the aspect of sports and establish a cultural and sports brand event exchange matrix in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the national development plan, and bringing forward the deep integration of the Greater Bay Area.
Mr Pun said that the Preparatory Office in Macao and the relevant government departments in Macao have been in close collaboration with Guangdong and Hong Kong. Multiple site inspections were conducted to ensure the full preparations for the event in terms of customs clearance management, traffic control, medical support and emergency rescue services, etc. The Preparatory Office in Macao will provide full support for the event and work together with Hong Kong and Zhuhai to host a successful event for the preparation of the 15th NG to be held next year.
The HZMB and Hong Kong Port would be subject to special traffic arrangements during the day of the test event. Details of road closure and traffic arrangements will be announced in due course.
The 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao road cycling race and the road cycling test event for the 15th NG is organised by the Chinese Cycling Association and the People's Government of Zhuhai Municipality with support from the NGCO of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the Preparatory Office in Macao and the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
