By Afiqah Rafael
Taking cognisance of being the only state that organises a 160-km (dubbed the Century Ride) for five consecutive years, this year’s edition was named the “Gold Edition.”
True to its name, winners were awarded 24-karat gold plaques. Entrants with lucky rankings such as 8, 88, 888, 916 and 999 were similarly awarded.
President of Le Velo Cycling Club, Shahrudin Not, stated that the objective was to promote tourism in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2019.
With over 1500 participants including entrants from Europe, South America, Central and Southeast Asia, Perak has gained much recognition for its effort.
Singaporean and victor of Men’s Super Veteran category, Markus Tam, was here solely for this annual event. “There’s little time for us to try the food in Ipoh. We’ll be back soon.”
The event was flagged off by state Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing at the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC), Gopeng on Sunday, June 30.
The route took riders through Batu Gajah, Tronoh, Seri Iskandar, Bota Kanan, Lambor Kanan, Kampong Gajah, Chenderong Balai, Tanjung Tualang, and Malim Nawar. It ended at RTC Gopeng.
Overall champion, Muaz Rahim from Kedah told reporters, “I enjoyed seeing the quaint kampong houses and paddy fields while cycling, I never realised how heavenly Perak is. I’ll be back for more.”
Despite a reduction in sponsorship, the event managed to maintain its prestige and attraction judging from the number of participants.
