SHKP sponsors Hong Kong’s first major virtual cycling race; SHKP Supernova member takes first place in the men’s category

Over the past year, the pandemic has brought a halt to many major sport events, but it has also opened the door for virtual sports to thrive to keep the spirit of Sports for Health going. SHKP recently sponsored Bike SUNday x SHKP Supernova Virtual Race 2021, Hong Kong’s first large-scale eSports cycling competition, in which cyclists gathered at the ALVA Hotel by Royal in Sha Tin to vie for glory.

The race saw 130 participants compete in the first round, with 15 male and 10 female cyclists advancing to the final round. Among the guests who showed their support at the finals were Caspar Tsui, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs, Kenneth Fok, JP, Vice President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Wong Kam-po, world champion cyclist. The cycling race – albeit a virtual one – was designed according to the real-world environment of the UCI Road Cycling World Championships; and the bike trainers give cyclists resistance during a hill climb, creating a highly realistic race experience. The cyclists could compare their performance data with that of others on a screen, and adjust their strategy during the race, whose intensity is comparable to a real race.

This virtual race offered a valuable experience for the young members of the SHKP Supernova Cycling Team, which has been sponsored by SHKP since 2019. Led by several retired Hong Kong Cycling Team members, the SHKP Supernova Cycling Team has trained a number of members to become part of the Hong Kong Junior Cycling Team in the past two years. Ngai Chung-ki, the champion of the men’s race, is a SHKP Supernova Cycling Team member.

SHKP is committed to promoting cycling among local people and nurturing new blood for the Hong Kong Cycling Team, while actively organizing cycling events and competitions. Although many races have been cancelled amid the pandemic, SHKP Executive Director Adam Kwok is confident about turning crisis into opportunity and achieving a breakthrough. “There have been no local cycling competitions for more than a year because of the pandemic,” he said. “We hope that by integrating technology in sports, a series of virtual cycling races in various new forms can be held for cyclists in the future.”