'Star athletes among 5,000 riders to join Cyclothon'
The Tourism Board said on Tuesday that over 5,000 riders have signed up for this year’s Hong Kong Cyclothon's 50km and 30km races on Sunday. Among the participants are two-time Olympic medalist Sarah Lee, Ceci Lee, who brought home three medals from the Hangzhou Asian Games, and former triathlon athlete Daniel Lee. The city's largest cycling event will also see the return of the UCI Class 1.1 road race after a five-year absence. The Hong Kong Cycling Team, along with over 100 professional international and local cyclists, will compete in the over-100km race.  Police said special traffic arrangements, including road closures and traffic diversions, will begin from 8pm on Saturday.  For example, the upper deck of the Kowloon-bound lanes on Tsing Ma Bridge will be closed from 1am to 7:15am on Sunday. Other affected routes will reopen in phases from 9am – while a full reopening is expected by 5:45pm.   The Transport Department, meanwhile, said 144 bus routes and 15 minibus routes will undergo phased diversions, route shortening, or suspended services from 1am on Sunday.  The Tourism Board said it will work closely with the Hong Kong Observatory to monitor the wind speed at Stonecutters Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, and Tsing Ma Bridge before the races start.  "If any changes are necessary, we will broadcast them live on-site and inform participants of any amendments to the routes," the board's general manager, Raymond Chan, said.