Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong province for the first time will co-host a cross-border road cycling race on Nov 24, as a rehearsal for the 15th National Games next year.

Apart from the cycling race, Hong Kong will also organize test races for the other events it will host in the National Games, including field cycling, rugby sevens, golf and fencing, according to officials attending a press conference in Zhuhai on Thursday.

As the first national sports event to integrate Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong, the race will be a formal competition in the National Games next year and will be the only event to be held across the three places.

Over 70 individual male cyclists from Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong will race on a 230-kilometer course, which includes a 60.6 km-round-trip across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

ALSO READ: HK firms at CIIE, Shenzhen int’l finance expo, League of Legends World Championship

The Hong Kong leg of the race is 55.8 km long, while the Macao section spans 13.5 km and the Zhuhai section is 160.7 km long.

Sports officials attending the press conference said the route will include the HZM Bridge to highlight some of the attractions of the three connected cities — such as Zhuhai’s scenic Qinglu Road, the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and the HZM Bridge itself — and to showcase the close integration and development of the cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office of the Hong Kong SAR government, said his office and other relevant government departments will provide full support for the race’s Hong Kong section, including customs clearance management, traffic control, medical support and emergency rescue services.

ALSO READ: A Southwest Chinese youth's horse racing dream

Co-hosted by Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong, the 15th National Games will take place from Nov 9 to 21 next year. Hong Kong will host eight out of the 34 competition events, namely basketball (men U22), cycling track, fencing, golf, handball (men), rugby sevens, triathlon, beach volleyball, and bowling — one of the 19 mass participation events.

The Hong Kong authorities will also provide support for the marathon held by Shenzhen and the cross-boundary road cycling race.

Yeung said test races for all eight events will be held in Hong Kong one after another, starting with a golf test which will be staged on the sidelines of the Hong Kong Open from Nov 21 to 24.

The rehearsal events are aimed at helping Hong Kong organizers familiarize themselves with the procedures, competition arrangements, venue equipment, information system and manpower deployment, Yeung said.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com