China's 15th National Games will feature a first-ever cross-region road cycling event this November, linking the cities of Zhuhai, Macao, and Hong Kong in a single race.
While most events in the National Games—jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao—will be held within each respective region, the Men's Individual Road Cycling Race stands out as the only competition that physically crosses all the three.
In November, cyclists in the race will tackle a 230-kilometer route that spans city streets, bridges, and borders. The logistics behind such a race are complex. On April 15, more than 30 journalists from national media outlets and those across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gathered in Zhuhai to learn how it is being made possible.
In the men's individual race, cyclists will depart from Zhuhai Museum, loop through northern Macao, and then cross the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to reach Hong Kong Disneyland. From there, they will travel back, heading to the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone before finishing back at Zhuhai Museum.
Passing through checkpoints mid-race presents unique challenges. Normally, travelers moving between Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao must pass through customs and immigration checkpoints. However, stopping during a race is not practical.
To address this, organizers have created a special pre-checkpoint. "We've set up a joint inspection zone near the start line, where immigration and customs procedures for all three regions are handled in advance," explained Yuan Xiong, Deputy Director of Zhuhai's Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports. "While Zhuhai's border control takes the lead, officials from Hong Kong and Macao will also participate to double-check the information."
Technology also plays a vital role. Each competitor will wear a wristband embedded with a chip, while RFID scanners will be installed at key checkpoints along the route. This setup allows automatical registeration of each rider's passage in real-time.
This three-city race has already sparked a surge of local interest in cycling, says Tan Zhongming, President of the Zhuhai Bicycle Sport Association. He has noticed an increasing number of residents from Hong Kong and Macao traveling north to Zhuhai for cycling.
The media visit to Zhuhai is part of the "Dream Together for a Shared Future" GBA Media Tour, co-organized by journalist associations at both national and local levels in Hong Kong, Macao, and Guangdong.
From April 13 to 20, over 30 reporters will travel through Zhuhai, Shenzhen, and Huizhou, covering the latest developments in new quality productive forces, the cultural industry and tourism, and environmental conservation across the Greater Bay Area.
Reporter | Chen Siyuan
Photo | Liang Zijian
Video | Liang Zijian
Poster | Liang Zijian
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
