As 2021 prepares to yield ground to 2022, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has returned with extensive plans for organising the annual Hong Kong Cyclothon. Keeping in mind the current conditions and the latest scare over Omicron variant of Covid-19, the HKTB also offers a complete, immersive and virtual ride for those tourists, especially Indians, who cannot make it for the physical event, slated for January 16, 2022.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced the return of the much-anticipated Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon on 16^th January 2022. This would be a hybrid format event on a new stunning route, with free virtual race from January 3-16, 2022 and the physical event for Hong Kong residents on January 16, 2022.

The physical event of Hong Kong Cyclothon will include the Hong Kong Section of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) for the first time. The HZMB is a massive maritime bridge that connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao. It is the world’s longest bridge-tunnel system sea crossing, traversing the waters of the Lingdingyang channel in the Pearl River Estuary.

Started in 2015, the Hong Kong Cyclothon has attracted 1,700 local and international cyclists to take part in the unique cycling experience in the city.

“This year’s Hong Kong Cyclothon will not only be the first sports event held on the world’s longest bridge-tunnel sea crossing as it is taking a whole route on the HZMB but also the first time a virtual experience has been incorporated into the event, offering cyclists worldwide who are unable to take part physically a thrilling and immersive experience of racing over the landmark bridge. These special features are a pilot run for future intercity events in the Greater Bay Area, and consolidate Hong Kong’s status as the international tourism event capital in the GBA. I sincerely hope participants from other cities in the Area will come and ride with us in the years to come,” says Dane Cheng, executive director, HKTB.

To share the excitement of racing on the bridge as widely as possible, a free virtual experience emulating the HZMB’s 26-km actual route has been introduced to increase the event’s attractiveness. It also allows cyclists from India and the rest of the world that are unable to attend in person to enjoy a mesmerising simulation of the experience.

The participants can now download the “Hong Kong Cyclothon: go virtual” app from DiscoverHongKong website and create their accounts to participate in the virtual races. From January 3-16, the cyclists can utilise their own training bike stations and participate in virtual races by pairing their Android devices with smart trainers like Wahoo Kickr, Wahoo Kickr Core and Wahoo Kickr Snap through this app. There is no limit on the number of attempts they can make.

During the virtual races, participants can climb, descend, accelerate, and sweat along the animated route. E-sports elements such as timed acceleration zones are also included to add excitement to the ride. After completing the virtual races, participants can check their time and ranking. The top 20 best-performing global participants will receive e-coupons for professional cycling gear as awards, says HKTB in a press statement.