Hong Kong Falls Short of Podium in Cross-Border Cycling Race as Border Re-opens to Weekend Travellers

In a nail-biting five-hour sprint to the finish at Zhuhai Museum, Shandong cyclist Liu Zhicheng clinched gold in the 231.8-km men’s road race spanning Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong on 8 November. Beijing’s Xue Chaohua and Yunnan’s Hu Haijie secured silver and bronze, while Hong Kong’s top rider, Chu Tsun-wai, crossed the line outside the medal positions.

Despite the disappointment on the podium, Hong Kong officials declared the race’s cross-boundary logistics a success. The convoy entered the SAR at 10:20 a.m., traversed North Lantau Highway and Penny’s Bay without incident, and exited via the HZMB by 11:55 a.m., allowing the bridge to reopen to public traffic on schedule. Immigration Department figures show a surge of nearly 14,000 outbound passengers through alternative land checkpoints between 7 a.m. and noon as travellers adjusted plans.



Tourism stakeholders seized on the spectacle: Hong Kong Disneyland hosted a free public viewing zone on Fantasy Road, using the event to soft-launch its new “Night Run & Ride” corporate wellness packages aimed at mainland MICE groups. Hotels in Tung Chung reported an average 88 per cent weekend occupancy, boosted by cycling fans and media crews.

The event is a rehearsal for Hong Kong’s broader ambitions to host more cross-boundary sports meets under the Greater Bay Area framework. However, business-travel consultants caution that ad-hoc border closures—even well-publicised ones—can disrupt time-critical cargo and crew rotations. They urge corporates to build “event calendars” into travel-risk assessments and to diversify routings via Lo Wu or Shenzhen Bay when the HZMB is offline.