Racing into New Year

CYCLISTS vigorously greeted the New Year in Shenzhen with the inauguration of a bicycle race for 2008 and were welcomed with Oliebollen, a traditional pastry treat in the Netherlands.

Oliebollen is a Dutch pastry similar to a doughnut. It is typically deep-fried pastry filled with raisins and dusted with icing sugar. Some modern variations serve them with a berry topping.

The Oliebollen Race, which was held at the Shenzhen Science and Technology Park, attracted 130 amateur cyclists from neighboring cities including Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou.

The cyclists were separated into four groups according to their physical capabilities, speed and hours of training.

"The race is just for fun, and we wanted to do something exciting to welcome the New Year instead of sitting behind a computer," said Jan Kole, a Dutchman who runs a bicycle company and has lived in Shenzhen for 13 years.

Kole initiated the race with his wife Livia Cai and hoped to organize this type of race once a month this year.

Kole started cycling at age 24 in 1975 and was possibly the oldest among the contestants who signed for the "elite group," which generally requires cyclists to maintain a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour during a 50-kilometer race.

"I think it is a very healthy way to greet the New Year. Through the race, children could find the goal they need to attain," said Chan Tak-ping, who accompanied her teenage son, Cheung Fu-shui, a junior high school student in Hong Kong. Cheung spends three hours training every day, five days a week. He was one of 20 cyclists from the Uno Cycling Club in Hong Kong.

"In Hong Kong, many children spend their holidays indoors, either watching TV or playing computer games," said Chan, who got up at 6 a.m. yesterday and crossed the border with her son for the race. "I just want to encourage my child to lead a healthy life through cycling," said Chan.

"It is fantastic to find such a good road for the race here in Shenzhen," said Cheung Sau-ting, a student at the Buddhist Ma Ku-chan School. Brendan Banovic, a young American man working at a Nike store in Guangzhou, found Shenzhen's environment and air quality were much better for racing than those in Guangzhou.