Presenting the last ride of the year and also the opening ride of the new year 2010!
It’s called Malakoff Interstate Fellowship Ride, and the route takes the cyclists through shady kampong areas, water reservoir, scenic paddy fields, post-tsunami areas, with bird’s eyes view of the sea and sandy beaches and also century-old tropical trees.
Malakoff Interstate Fellowship Ride is a new initiative under Malakoff Community Partnerships (MCP), and this event is sponsored by Malakoff and internally organized and run by Malakoff, with the support from Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang and Majlis Sukan Negeri Pulau Pinang.
Day 1, 31 December 2009, starts at Autocity, Juru, Penang, taking the cyclists to Kulim, Selama (Kedah), Selama (Perak), Bukit Merah, then back to Juru. Although the distance of 149km looks daunting, but the route is mainly flat with 2 climbs that only lasts a few hundred meters. With 2 feeding stops and 1 water stop (as per the MD/CEO, En Ahmad Jauhari Yahya’s suggestion), it is definitely a doable ride for cyclists of all levels.
Day 2, 1 January 2010, starts at Autocity, then takes the cyclists onto Penang Bridge, which is the highlight of the event as on normal days the bridge will not allow bicycles crossing the bridge, to Queensbay, Relau, Jalan Tun Saadon, down to Balik Pulau, then up to Teluk Bahang, passing the spanking new Hard Rock Hotel, then to Penang Youth Park (near Botanical Garden area). The distance is shorter, 70km but there are a lot of steep climbs, especially at Jalan Tun Saadon and up to Teluk Bahang. Downhill is also technical with a lot of sharp junctions, certainly not for the faint-hearted! One feeding stop and one water stop have been proposed for this short route.
Marshals from PDRM and some experienced marshals who normally handle Le Tour de Langkawi will be manning the roads, to make it safe for the cyclists.
Volunteers from Malakoff will assist at the feeding and water stations, which will cater up to 700 cyclists at each stops.
Goodies are also abundance, with sports towel from Malakoff, one Powerbar, breakfast from Nestle, new energy drink sachets and water bottle from Suntonic, and a cool participant T-shirt, for a registration fee of RM30 which goes directly to charity.
Especially for Malakoff staff and associates, 100 places have been reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Registrations close on 1st December or at reaching 700 participants, whichever comes first. To register for the ride, fill in the attached form and make a payment to my Maybank account (514329051775 Aini Zahariah Zakaria), then fax the form and proof of payment of RM30 per form (i.e. bank-in slip, Maybank2u transfer slip) and forward it to me (Fax No. 03-2263 3333).
Don’t wait until it’s too late as spaces are limited.. let’s make it this year’s most talked about ride!
chen
