Cycling: Hong Kong confirmed as host of 2024 UCI Nations Cup

It will be the sixth international event staged at Hong Kong Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O, and the first in three years
It is revealed that the city made a failed bid to host this year’s Nations Cup before succeeding for 2024

Hong Kong Sports Institute

Mike Chan

Published: 7:45pm, 3 Jan 2023

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Hong Kong is to host the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup for a second time in 2024, after receiving confirmation from the world governing body.

Leung Hung-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong Cycling Association, revealed that one of the Nations Cup’s three legs had been awarded to the city by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and that it would take place from March 14 to 17 next year.

The Hong Kong Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O – built a decade ago and the scene of a Nations Cup once before when the event visited in 2021 – will again be the venue for what will be the sixth elite-level international track competition the city has staged.

Besides the Nations Cup, the velodrome has previously hosted three World Cup meets – one in 2016 and two in 2019 – along with the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. It boasts permanent seating for 2,000 spectators, which can be expanded to 3,000 for major events.

Sarah Lee won gold in the sprint at the Hong Kong-hosted Nations Cup two years ago. Photo: May Tse

“[Hosting again] is great news for us,” Leung said. “Hong Kong has adequate facilities to stage such world-class events. Our previous successes with World Cups, the Nations Cup and the World Championships spoke for themselves and the UCI was satisfied with our cooperation.”

Leung also revealed that Hong Kong had made an unsuccessful bid to host the Nations Cup this year before succeeding for 2024.

“For the 2024 event, we put forward our name to UCI last summer,” he said, adding that the next step would be to sign contracts for an event expected to involve about 400 riders and cost around HK$7 million. The 2021 edition had cost HK$4 million more, because of the need to hold it in a “closed loop” under Covid-19 restrictions.

The city has managed to win at least one medal in each of those previous competitions on the Tseung Kwan O track.

Two-time Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Lee Wai-sze was responsible for most of those, reaching the podium at least once in each of her three hometown World Cups, winning sprint bronze at the 2017 World Championships, and taking sprint gold and keirin silver at the 2021 Nations Cup.

However, Hong Kong is likely to have to fight hard to continue to attract top-level cycling meets, with the UCI believed to want to explore possibilities in new destinations in the region.

Sources with knowledge of the developments told the Post that the governing body regarded Hong Kong as an able host after its previous events, but was seeking to develop the sport further in other parts of Southeast Asia.

It is understood that Malaysia and Indonesia are among the potential hosts for forthcoming international track competitions.

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Malaysia has a newer national velodrome, which opened in 2017, while Indonesia – whose international velodrome in Jakarta was renovated in 2018 – has already won the race to host the first Nations Cup this year, which will take place next month. The UCI tends to limit each continent to one stop per series.

The Hong Kong national team will be sending riders to compete in that first leg in Jakarta between February 23 and 26. The remaining two rounds will be staged in Cairo, from March 14 to 17, and in Milton, Canada, from April 20 to 23.

Adding further anticipation for the Hong Kong leg next year is that the series’ results now count towards qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

That will take effect in Jakarta, where places at this year’s Track World Championships, in Glasgow in August, will also be up for grabs.

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