Shandong’s Liu Zhicheng rode to victory in the men’s individual road cycling event at the National Games on Saturday, while Hong Kong’s Franco Chu finished 15th after a final sprint within the main peloton.

The race was the only event of the Games to span three locations – Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau – covering a challenging distance of nearly 232 kilometres.

It set off from Zhuhai Museum in the morning, wound through Macau, continued into Hong Kong and returned to Zhuhai for the finish.

Early in the race, Heilongjiang’s Bai Lijun made a bold breakaway, building a lead of more than three minutes.

However, his advantage gradually faded as the main pack reeled him in on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

As the cyclists entered Hong Kong, crowds gathered near Hong Kong Disneyland, where National Games mascots joined spectators in cheering the athletes from the roadside.

With a largely flat course, the leaders were unable to build a significant gap, and the race remained tightly bunched in the final kilometres.

About 10 kilometres from the finish, a small group attempted to break clear but was quickly absorbed back into the peloton.

In the last two kilometres, several Hong Kong riders moved to the front and launched their sprints.

But it was Liu Zhicheng who ultimately prevailed, outlasting Beijing’s Xue Chaohua in a dramatic final push to claim gold.

Yunnan’s Hu Haijie rounded out the podium in third, with Liu’s winning time coming in at five hours, 17 minutes and five seconds.

The Hong Kong team entered nine cyclists in the event.

Franco Chu was the city’s top finisher in 15th, followed by Cheung Shi-ho in 21st and Yau Ping-cheung in 24th.

Reflecting on the race, Chu noted that the team’s sprint finish – a high-speed dash for the line – needs refinement.

"By the last 1.5 kilometres, we were in a good position, but there were some mistakes in coordinating with teammates, so we lost our position and ended up falling back, unable to break free from the crowd," he said.

The women’s individual road race will be held on Sunday, coinciding with the National Games opening ceremony.