Police said on Monday that motorists should expect much longer drives if they go to Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday, from where the annual Cyclothon will kick off.

Road closures in the district will begin from Saturday night, and there will be partial closures for the West Kowloon Highway and the Lantau Link from around 1am onwards on Sunday.

The event involves both competitive and leisure rides, with a record 6,000 participants turning out.

Senior inspector Cheung Ho-wai said the races would take place concurrently with west and north bound lanes still being open to traffic.

"A reminder to the public that all the highway routes in West Kowloon heading towards the airport or the New Territories will remain open to traffic as normal," he said.

"That's because the main racing track will involve the lanes heading towards Kowloon.

"We also want to appeal to motorists to remain tolerant during the race. They should reserve extra time for their journey and drive safely, and listen to instructions by traffic officers at the scene."

The Tourism Board said retired British cycling legend Mark Cavendish will join the events, as will Ceci Lee, fresh off winning three golds at the National Games.

The two will take part in the 50-kilometre ride together with other local cycling legends, such as Hung Chung-yam and two-time Olympic medallist Sarah Lee.

The board added that it doesn't expect a baggage issue for participants, saying riders can store phones and other accessories in jerseys.

This came a day after some participants of the Hong Kong Streetathon were upset they had trouble retrieving their bags because of a signal failure.