THE Tour of Chongming Island, a key race on the new UCI Women’s World Tour, was back for its 14th year earlier this month. The three-day stage-race event was held from May 6 to 8 and attracted 18 of the world’s best women’s road cycling teams, including Wiggle High5, Team Ale’ Cipollini and China Chongming-Liv-Champion System Pro Cycling.

The race covered 351 kilometers over three stages. The race started and finished at Xincheng Park on Chongming Avenue. Chloe Hosking of Wiggle High5 is the big winner. This 26-year-old Australian rider won the yellow and green jerseys for the best overall time and the highest score in the points classification.

“This is my seventh time to race on Chongming Island and I am very familiar to the roads,” says Hosking. “I am good at the change of wind and narrow roads here and really enjoy the view.”

With its abundant forest coverage, winding roads, calm lakes, quite village paths and delicious local food, Chongming Island is an ideal place to enjoy a pleasant weekend with family and friends. When you come to Chongming, be sure to bring your sports gear and take advantage of this stunning island’s many athletic amenities.

Cycling fun

Chongming’s passion for cycling doesn’t fade when the elites of women’s cycling leave town.

The island recently hosted a sports carnival that included a costume bike-ride. This wacky event attracted nearly 400 riders dressed like their favorite fictional characters, including the Monkey King, Super Mario and members of The Avengers. They took to the same roads used in the Tour of Chongming, and enjoyed the same winding paths, refreshing air and enchanting views that have made the island famous.

The “ecological lanes” of Chongming Island are ready to offer nice views and a peaceful environment for jogging and cycling. Covering an area of 4.9 square kilometers, the style of these lanes change as they pass through different areas of the island.

Xincun Village is the cradle of sweet scented osmanthus, while Miaozhen Town features trident maple trees that change color with the season. When the spring comes, you can also see cherry blossoms in Zhongxing Town. In Luhua Town, cyclists can ride past a scenic lake and quench their thirst with the local tangerines. Changxing Town features a four-seasons scenic area complete with four cycling rental stations and service centers.

Altogether, this eco-island is home to about 413km of cycling lanes. These are spread along roads, paths and routes which highlight top scenic spots such as the Xisha Wetland, Dongping Forest Park, Chenjia Town and Hengsha Island. These two-meter-wide lanes are painted red and feature rest stations every four to eight kilometers.

Chongming Island is not only for cycling, but also for running, football and other outdoor sports. Since 2014, marathons and other foot races held on the island have attracted scores of professional and amateur runners from all over the world. Luckily, the 42km ecological lane at Sanxing Town is very suitable for joggers, thanks to its forest and open field views.

Big plans

At the other side of Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge, the Changxing Island Park will soon be finished. The park will feature a 21km half marathon lane that is sure to be a hit with runners.

Also under construction on Chongming is the Mingzhu Lake Park, a water-sports park designed to accommodate rowers, kayakers and Dragon Boat racing teams. With a planned area of 3,000 hectares, water-sports lovers are sure to find plenty to appreciate.

“With its natural eco-environment and good air quality, Chongming Island has great natural resources to build an ecological outdoor sports paradise,” said Tang Hailong, the head of Chongming County. “We are aiming to meet the demands of citizens’ sporting passion.”

Also in the not-to-distant future, areas near Dongping Forest Park and Genbao Football Basement will be built into professional football camps featuring more than 10 standard football fields and accommodations.

The Chongming Sports Center will be built in Chengqiao Town and is intended to hold up to 10,000 people. At the center, locals can enjoy professional basketball and football games without going out of town.

Sports centers are also planned for Baozhen Town, Chenjia Town, Miaozhen Town and Changxing Town. These will include amenities for swimming, ping-pong, badminton, indoor rock climbing, squash, basketball and jogging.