This year’s National Games will be the first to see its men’s road cycling event traverse three jurisdictions, Hong Kong’s Standard newspaper reports. The event will be the only one in the Games to incorporate all three hosts: Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong Province.
At a recent press conference, the 231.8-kilometre race was described as “a symbol of integration among the three regions” by Huang Zhenqiu, the vice mayor of the Zhuhai Municipal Government and vice chairman of the National Games Zhuhai Executive Committee.
The cycling event is scheduled for 8 November, starting at the Zhuhai Museum. Its 104 competitors will cycle 55.8 kilometres in Hong Kong, 13.5 kilometres in Macao, 117.7 kilometres in Zhuhai and 44.8 kilometres in Hengqin via a route incorporating the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
[See more: How to buy tickets for the 15th National Games events being held in Macao]
Measures will be in place to enable the cyclists to cross six boundary checkpoints during the race at speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour. A successful race rehearsal was held last month to test out the route, Huang said.
The 15th National Games will take place from 9 to 21 November, with Macao hosting five competitions – including women’s volleyball, table tennis, karate, and 3×3 basketball. The SAR will also host two badminton events for the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympics, which will be held from 8 to 15 December.
Tickets are available via the Games’ website and the WeChat account “National Games Special Olympics Macao Division.”
