On November 1st, the annual "Giant Cup" 8-Hour Team Cycling Relay Race started at full speed at Nanjing Baima Park. At the same time, the Cycling Carnival event was also in full swing at the National Fitness Center. As a co-organizer of this year’s race, the team from the Asian Cycling Expo also came to the competition site to cheer on the participants and organized the second stop of the Children's Safe Cycling Public Welfare Activity.
The Giant Cup Cycling Relay Race has reached its 14th edition this year and is jointly organized by the Nanjing Sports Federation, Nanjing Baima Park, and Giant (China) Co., Ltd. The race is team-based, with categories including Men’s Open, Men’s Masters, and Women’s Group. Participants compete in mountain relay cycling within a set time frame, and the team that covers the longest distance wins.
The cool and rainy weather of late autumn did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants. Over 500 cyclists from 135 teams across the country attended the event. Due to rain making some roads slippery, the relay race was temporarily changed to a 6-hour format. In the end, the first place in the Men’s Open Group went to the ZTC Shadow Cycling Club, the second to Team One of Nanjing Giant Yuetu, and the third to the Hefei University Alliance Team. The Women’s Group champion was claimed by the Green Field Mountain Mist Women’s Team Two, followed by Team One of Nanjing Giant Yuetu in second place, and Suzhou 66 Cycling Club in third. The Men’s Masters Group was topped by the Huainan JAVA (Jiawo) Team, with Team One of Nanjing Infinite Masters in second and the Green Field Mountain Mist Masters Group in third.
Another highlight of this year’s Giant Cup — the Cycling Carnival — was held concurrently at the Nanjing National Fitness Center. It included time trial races, children’s safe cycling activities, and slow cycling competitions. Additionally, professional riders were invited to perform BMX demonstrations on-site, wowing the audience.
The event attracted many citizens to watch and participate. I could feel the extraordinary appeal and influence of cycling culture in Nanjing. A relevant organizer stated: "The creation of this Cycling Carnival aims to promote a healthy and positive cycling culture among the public, making cycling not just the domain of racers but allowing more people to get involved, experience the charm of riding, and fall in love with this healthy, aerobic lifestyle."
Among the events, the Children’s Safe Cycling Activity made its second public appearance. In October of this year, the first Children’s Safe Cycling Activity themed "Baby Care Action" was successfully held at the 2014 Asian Cycling Expo. To continue this public welfare initiative, the Children’s Safe Cycling Activity is back on the road again. Many parents brought their children to sign up over the weekend. Thanks to the thoughtful arrangements by the organizers, all children wore protective cycling gear, chose suitable bicycles, and enjoyed a fun riding experience. Kids who successfully completed the riding requirements were rewarded with MOON children’s helmets. Many parents said the activity was very meaningful, helping to raise children’s awareness of safe cycling, and they expressed hope that this public welfare event would continue for years to come.