For eleven years, efforts have been made to promote Chongming as a green ecological island and establish it as a global icon through cycling. Yesterday, the starting gun of the 2013 UCI Women’s Road World Cup once again affirmed Chongming Island’s status in international cycling events, especially the Chongming Island Loop Race, which has transcended the traditional monopoly of women’s cycling events in Europe. However, this year’s event left some regrets, some of which were unforgivable.
　　Chongming first hosted a men’s invitational race in 2003, became a national men’s competition from 2004 to 2005, and has exclusively held an international women’s loop race since 2006. Since the completion of the Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge in 2010, it has also included a women’s World Cup race that crosses the tunnel and bridge. According to the organizers: “After ten years of meticulous refinement, this is a prime venue where athletes can pursue their dreams; it is also a paradise where the public can enjoy a cycling carnival…”

　　The tiles are beautiful but slippery
　　For many years, the main start and finish points of the race have been set up in an open square in Xincheng Park. On the second day of the loop race, light drizzle exposed flaws in the less-than-100-meter finishing stretch. The race on May 9 covered 113.7 kilometers, and as athletes crossed the finish line in a sprint, a terrifying metallic clanging sound filled the air as bikes and riders tumbled to the ground in a horrifying scene.
　　Slow-motion footage taken by a media reporter showed that the first rider to fall did not come into contact with any other athletes before or after. Without warning, her bike suddenly veered off course during the inertial glide after crossing the finish line, causing her to crash and knock over surrounding riders, triggering a chain reaction.
　　Several officials rushed onto the track to investigate the cause. It turned out that the less-than-100-meter stretch of the finish area was paved with tiles—commonly referred to as paving tiles—featuring uneven, patterned surfaces, particularly smooth in the flatter areas. With rainwater on top, the surface became even slipperier. Even pedestrians walking on such uniformly smooth tiles might lose their footing. The transition from asphalt road to tile surface created differing friction coefficients, and riders sprinting at speeds exceeding 80 km/h had no chance to notice the change in pavement, especially since their hands gripping the handlebars might relax slightly after crossing the finish. These two factors combined led to the crashes. According to organizing committee officials, one reason for choosing the start and finish location was its beautiful surroundings, which made for great photos and helped promote green Chongming through the event.
　　Yesterday, another incident occurred during the UCI Women’s Road World Cup. The race started from the Oriental Sports Center and finished on Chongming Avenue in Chengqiao Town, Chongming County. According to a team coach, in the final two to three kilometers approaching the finish, a Ukrainian rider was in the lead, with a chasing group beginning to sprint. At that moment, the lead vehicle guiding the riders mistakenly drove onto the service road beside the race route. Although it promptly returned to the correct path, the detour affected several riders competing for the championship.

　　Stinky Tofu Tastes Good but Smells Strong
　　Xincheng Park in the Chongming New Town area is indeed beautiful, with wide views and lush greenery. But it is far from Chongming’s city center, and road closures during the race made it very inconvenient for residents to come and watch. Reporters estimated that the number of spectators might not have even matched the number of staff.
　　The roadside near the finish line was lined with many temporary tents, part of the cycling carnival. Observations showed that their content seemed largely unrelated to promoting green Chongming. “Taiwan-airfreighted stinky tofu—no good, no pay; fake, we’ll compensate ten thousand!” blared the loudspeakers. Last year, the pitch was “Hunan-airfreighted stinky tofu—no good, no pay; fake, we’ll compensate ten thousand.” Other items included Shaanxi knife-cut cold noodles, Dalian spicy squid, Beijing-style tripe, Tianjin Goubuli buns, Yunnan chestnuts, Wuhan three-delight bean curd sheets, Mongolian barbecue, Shaoxing stinky tofu, Chongqing hot and sour soup, and more, each occupying a red tent. There were also American imported popcorn and even a stall selling something called “Manhattan Houses.” Few local Chongming specialty stalls were present, but T-shirt vendors made an appearance.
　　At 2 yuan per piece, the stinky tofu was considered too expensive. The reporter bought a bowl of Wenzhou pork wontons elsewhere for 10 yuan for 10 pieces, only to find that all the wontons were flat and hollow when served. The vendor explained that with a 3,000-yuan booth fee and only six days of operation during the race, they couldn’t make a profit.
　　The smell of fried stinky tofu, sizzling squid, and grilled meat wafted intermittently toward the finish line, making one wonder how foreign athletes would interpret this “Chongming flavor.”

　　Crossing the Track Is Risky
　　On May 10, during the final two kilometers of the city circuit race, a near-disaster was narrowly avoided due to officials ignoring race rules. About five kilometers from the finish, the loudspeakers announced that riders had five kilometers left to the sprint. Shortly after, when they were about four kilometers out, the reporter saw the race director rush to the crossing point to inform police on both sides of the track that riders were approaching and no one should cross. The barriers were then closed. Soon after, a uniformed individual walked toward the crossing point, gesturing to a deputy director of the Chongming County government office across the street, signaling to cross. When he reached the crossing point, the police refused to let him through. The deputy director then approached and demanded passage. Having been involved in Chongming cycling events for years, she should have known crossing was prohibited at that moment. Just then, the lead police car for the race passed, with riders beginning their final sprint less than two kilometers away. The so-called award ceremony guest crossed the track in full view of the crowd, disregarding the danger.
　　If high-speed sprinting riders spot an obstacle ahead and try to avoid it, it will inevitably affect their race. Worse, they might instinctively swerve and collide with nearby riders, causing crashes. Fortunately, there were no serious consequences this time—but who would be responsible if there had been? “If the fur is gone, what use is the hair?” The race builds the stage, and Chongming puts on the show—the logic is simple.