Sunday, March 30, 2014

10,000 cyclists take part in final day of OCBC Cycle S'pore

SINGAPORE: More than 10,000 cyclists came together on Sunday morning to take part in OCBC Cycle Singapore.


In total, a record 12,000 people took part in the three-day event, which took them past iconic landmarks such as the Sheares Bridge, Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands.


Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin helped flag off the Super Challenge category at the F1 Pit Building, before taking part in the 59-kilometre challenge himself.


OCBC Cycle Singapore also saw representatives from various charities take part to raise funds.


The event is into its sixth year, and attendance has grown steadily.


It attracted just over 5,000 riders in its first edition in 2009.


Mr Tan said: “More people are responding, I think not just to cycling but… many sports. And that’s encouraging.


“That’s good for the growing sporting fraternity. What it means from the competitive angle is that perhaps you might have a larger pool to draw people from.”


Mr Tan said the government is committed to seeing cycling grow as a mode of transport.


But having dedicated cycling lanes on roads here is something the authorities will have to explore further.


He cited space constraints as a potential obstacle and pointed to alternatives that are already in place.


He said: “Well, we have park connectors, which I think is increasing in connectivity, and I think that’s a great way (to encourage people to cycle).


“It’s not ideal for competitive cycling because you can’t really go at fast speeds, but I think for the majority of people when they’re cycling, I think park connectors are great. Both the ABC Waters programme and park connectors — I think when they are fully mature, you will have a fairly dense network.” 



10,000 cyclists take part in final day of OCBC Cycle S"pore

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