About 2,500 cyclists from all walks of life converged in the heart of Kuala Lumpur this morning for the sixth edition of OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur, which returned after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The faster cyclists making the most of OCBC Cycle KL 2023 following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic
Dubbed “The City Ride” for its emphasis on enabling extended rides on closed roads in the heart of the city amidst the capital’s most iconic city centre landmarks, OCBC Cycle KL 2023 was flagged off at 6.45am by YB Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports. She was accompanied by Datuk Naim Mohamad, Chairman of the OCBC Cycle KL 2023 Implementation Committee; Ms Koh Ching Ching, Executive Vice President of OCBC Ltd; and Tuan Khairul Azmir bin Ahmad, Director of Culture, Arts and Sports, DBKL.
(L-R): CEO of OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik; Chairman of the OCBC Cycle KL 2023 Implementation Committee Datuk Naim Mohamad; Minister of Youth and Sports YB Hannah Yeoh; Executive Vice President of OCBC Ltd Ms Koh Ching Ching; and DBKL Director of Culture, Arts and Sports Tuan Khairul Azmir bin Ahmad at the starting line before flagging off 2,500 cyclists at OCBC Cycle KL 2023 at 6:45am this morning
Chief Executive Officer of OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik joined the participants in the 42-kilometre ride along with more than 350 of his OCBC colleagues.
The event, which sought to highlight sustainable practices, featured a recycling-themed percussion performance which got the crowd pumped up before the event got rolling. Of the 2,500 participants, the more serious cyclists rode through the more gruelling 42-kilometre route while the leisure cyclists opted for the 21-kilometre ride. The rides were designed to complement the 7-kilometre distance that many are used to participating in at the weekly OCBC Bank-sponsored OCBC KL Car Free Morning.
Making its debut was The KL Mayor’s Ride for teams of ten each over a 42-kilometre distance. The teams were from corporations, ministries and agencies.
Participants cycled along the closed roads of Jalan Raja, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Perak, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Sultan Ismail Jalan Conlay, Jalan Stonor, Jalan Kia Peng, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Putra,Jalan Tun Ismail, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, Jalan Kuching towards to Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Kinabalu, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin and Jalan Raja before returning to Dataran Merdeka.
OCBC Cycle KL is title-sponsored by OCBC Bank and organised by Multigreen Events. It is supported by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).
The top three male winners of OCBC Cycle KL 2023 receiving their prizes
According to Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz, OCBC Cycle KL 2023 has proven itself once again to be a fitting and complementary event to OCBC KL Car Free Morning, which is also title-sponsored by OCBC Bank.
“It is heartening to see 2,500 cyclists here this morning. I’m sure everyone was excited about being on the closed roads again to ride safely and enjoy in the camaraderie that OCBC Cycle KL has always been associated with. We are happy to have provided this safe cycling platform for the sixth time as OCBC Cycle KL remains the only annual mass participation cycling event on closed roads in the city centre.
“We are also excited about the conscious move to make OCBC Cycle KL 2023 even more environmentally friendly and sustainable. This means there was less use of plastics and greater respect for the preservation of our surroundings. This is an ongoing part of OCBC Bank’s agenda not just for OCBC Cycle KL 2023 but everything we do,” he said.
Datuk Naim Mohamad said he was particularly pleased with the level of participation this year following the last mass cycling event in November 2019.
“It is pleasing to see such a huge turnout, including participants from more than 20 different nationalities. I trust they all had a great time. As part of our commitment to safe cycling, we are grateful to DBKL and PDRM for helping us ensure a smooth ride for all,” he said.
Apart from OCBC Cycle KL title sponsor OCBC Bank, sponsors include Great Eastern, KPJ, Decathlon, Thule, Garmin, 100Plus, Nescafe, Milo, Cosmo Hotel, N8 Sports Nutrition, Gin Huat, Maxxis, Dahon, ES Mass, Maxtron, Elite Sports, Rudy Project, Dynamique Sports Rehab Centre, Cat Eye, Minoura, Black Cat, Hutan Ration and Kulsocs.
The event also brought together various players in the region involved in cycling, cycle-related supplies, sports clothing, bicycles, bicycle equipment and tools and so forth who participated in a Bike Mart.
