The 350-kilometer track connects beautiful landmarks, and the island cycling race returns to the ecological island
On Chongming Island, where birds are singing and flowers are fragrant, the world's top cyclists are racing in the fields and woods, enjoying the display of speed and passion... From October 12 to 14, the 2023 UCI Women's Road World Tour around Chongming Island The game will start in Chongming.
From hosting the domestic race in 2003 to currently hosting the UCI World Tour, the Tour of Chongming Island International Road Cycling Race has gone through 20 years.
Set off again three years later, the track covers more Chongming landmarks and beautiful scenery, the event organization is more detailed and powerful, and the service guarantee is more considerate - after three years, this brand event returns to the ecological island.
The holding of the 2021 Flower Expo has brought a new and moving scenery to Chongming. This year’s Tour of Chongming Island Cycling Race was also born in response to the situation, and the route was re-planned to combine the race with the scenery.
The 2023 UCI Women's Road World Tour Tour of Chongming Island is a national A-level event. It is the same level as the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and other events. It is the highest level cycling event in the world. According to the 2023 UCI calendar, among the 30 events around the world, the Women’s World Tour Tour of Chongming Island is the only women’s World Tour multi-day event in China. It is also a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The overall champion will receive 400 points. , the teams and players who came to compete were stronger than in previous years. Based on the team level and competitive level, the organizing committee finally determined 18 teams from all over the world to participate, all of which are among the top teams in the world, including 7 women's World Tour teams, 9 women's intercontinental teams, as well as the Chinese national team and China The Hong Kong team has 108 participants. The fleet comes from 13 countries and regions in total, covering Europe, America, Oceania and Asia.
The competition lasts for three days, with a total stage length of 349.8 kilometers: the first stage will be held on the 12th, starting from Xincheng Park, passing through the Lotus Expo Park and Mingzhu Lake Park, with a total distance of 108.9 kilometers; the second stage will be held on the 13th. They started from Changxing Island Country Park, passed through the magnificent Yangtze River Bridge, Dongtan Avenue, Shanghai Chongming Sports Training Base and then returned to Xincheng Park. The total distance was 128.6 kilometers; the third stage was held on the 14th, and the race route started from Xincheng Park and circled Chongming Avenue. Enter Xinhe Town to ride, then return to the city for a loop. The total distance is 112.3 kilometers. Except for Hengsha Township, the track route covers the main roads of 17 towns in Chongming and the Yangtze River Bridge, almost reaching "full coverage" on the island. During the competition, the players will deeply experience the charm of the world-class ecological island.
Among them, the Riverside Sightseeing Embankment in Chongxi Circuit, Chongming Avenue in Chongzhong Circuit, Changxing Island Country Park in Chongdong Circuit, Shanghai Chongming Sports Training Base, the eastern section of Chenhai Highway and Huabo Avenue are all these. Over the years, landmark landscapes and roads have been newly added and widened on the island. "Cars travel in the forest, and people swim in the paintings." The cycling track is re-planned and upgraded every year, bringing a new experience to participating athletes and spectators.
You chase each other, the speed is fast, the road cycling race is exciting and thrilling. But behind the highly entertaining event is a great test for the organization and guarantee of the event. Ensuring track safety is a top priority: in order to make the track more "silky", the event organizing department inspects the 349.8-kilometer track stage by stage, kilometer by kilometer.
The Yangtze River Bridge on the Chongdong Circuit will be temporarily closed for three hours during the event: the relevant departments will "sit down" at the designated location and use the short period of closure to urgently remove all motor vehicle speed bumps on the road, waiting for the competition. After that, all speed bumps will be installed and normal traffic will resume as soon as possible.
There are nearly 350 kilometers of track and countless manhole covers. Even if these manhole covers are tilted up by a few millimeters, they are a huge safety hazard. Before the event, the road administration department conducted a "carpet survey" of all areas covered by the track to ensure that the entire race schedule was conducted safely and orderly.
This year, event reception has also "taken a step forward": starting from the arrival at Pudong Airport, participating athletes and teams will enjoy the "green channel" after exiting customs and board special cars directly to the Chongming station. As soon as you get on the bus, you will be greeted by volunteers - this year, 66 volunteers from Xianda College of Shanghai International Studies University will serve in the cycling race and provide considerate services to each participating team.
Today, cycling has become Chongming’s unique green business card. State Grid Shanghai Changxing Power Supply Company took the initiative to contact the event organizer and formulate a detailed and thorough plan to ensure power supply. It not only provides clean and green energy for the competition, but also provides green assistance for event transportation and ensures charging services for new energy vehicles.
In the Tour of Chongming Island International Road Cycling Race, there is also a volunteer team that cannot be ignored. Although Chongming’s road cycling conditions are superior, it also has its own characteristics: beside the main road, there are rural crossings extending in all directions. During the competition, "guarding" these crossings will ensure the safety of the athletes. Before the start of the competition, thousands of volunteers from 17 towns and villages in Chongming had already completed their drills at the intersections they were guarding along the 350-kilometer track, waiting for the start of the competition.
Various antique bicycles from different countries and periods that have never been seen before, a bicycle baby training camp led by Olympic champion Zhong Tianshi, bicycle-themed film performances... and the Tour of Chongming Island International Road Cycling Race, there are also exciting bicycles Carnival.
This year’s carnival is set up in Xincheng Park Landscape Hubei Plaza. It closely focuses on the theme of bicycles and sets up a cycling culture square, themed exhibition area, riding food area, riding good things area and leisurely camping area, integrating Chongming’s cultural tourism resources with the event. In combination, a lively series of activities called "Watching Races and Touring Chongming" are launched for citizens, tourists and cycling enthusiasts.
In addition to the carnival, cycling and other activities that complement brand events have also been integrated into the sports and leisure activities of Chongming Ecological Island, becoming a new lifestyle for citizens.
In May and September this year, the Chongming Island Cycling Conference and the Shanghai Cycling Festival were held in Chongming. Each event attracted nearly a thousand cycling enthusiasts from the Yangtze River Delta. The cycling tour deeply integrates cycling and tourism, connecting landmarks such as Mingzhu Lake, Guangming Tianyuan, and Dongtan Wetland, allowing participating citizens to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Chongming and experience the island style while exercising.
In recent years, Chongming’s cycling sports supporting facilities have been increasingly improved. Through the layout and construction of "one ring, five circles, fifteen verticals, and multiple points" leisure bicycle greenways, Chongming's main attractions and natural scenery are connected in series, providing a unique riding experience for the majority of cycling enthusiasts. Currently, it has 413 kilometers of green bicycle lanes have been built. "It feels great to ride on Chongming Island. Not only are the supporting facilities very good, but you can also enjoy the beautiful natural scenery." More and more cycling enthusiasts come to Chongming to check in and enjoy the charm of the event.
Not long ago, the Sixth Shanghai Leisure Sports Conference opened, and the kayak marathon held on the Laoliang River attracted more than 150 enthusiasts from inside and outside the island to "check in." The theme of this leisure sports conference is "Enjoy Ecological Chongming with Vibrant Leisure Sports", combined with Chongming's natural ecological advantages, and through the path of "ecological sports", four major sections of "water, fields, forests and roads" and eight major sections are set up. Key events will last until late November.
With one person participating and staying for multiple days, top-level events breed sports tourism brand projects and have become a new segment in Chongming tourism. After years of development, Chongming has met the city's positioning requirements for back gardens, especially in terms of sports tourism, attracting urban people to Chongming for sports and leisure tourism, and creating outdoor sports with Chongming's ecological characteristics.
