It was announced this morning that the E-Bike Grand Prix (EBK GP) will be co-hosted by South Korea, with the country being the second host nation to sign up to this first of its kind race.
The country will be joining Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as one of the upcoming events host nations, with the latter confirming their host status in October this year.
South Korea’s government will be being assisted by Collinder Holdings, a global sports and entertainment company who are working closely with the event. This partnership is set to allow the country’s portion of the Grand Prix to truly shine, and show the best of what the country has to offer.
Judith Rowan, the Global Host City Director at E-Bike Grand Prix, said:
“We are delighted to welcome South Korea on board. It is a fascinating country with a rich culture, and a repertoire of great events. Taking the EBK series around the world will not only deliver a thrilling and technologically advanced spectator sport but, importantly, our STM programme will deliver on our mandate to create greener, cleaner and healthier cities. We are on a mission to effect measurable change!”
E-Bike Grand Prix- An Eco Conscious Race
The E-Bike Grand Prix is a race combining the power of e-biking with the essential message of climate change reduction, using sustainable methodology to craft an environment where the wonders of e-biking can be fully understood, and leave its impact as an alternative mode of transportation with a far smaller carbon footprint.
The event is set to be groundbreaking in many regards, as a high tech, forward thinking race with the intention of promoting healthy living through the power of e-bike racing.
The E-Bike Grand Prix website states its goal to use ‘sport as the catalyst‘ for impactful changes in the way we travel in cities to reduce damage to the environment, and to help bring about change in how we interact with the urban landscapes around us.
A New Way To Race
Being an e-bike race, the E-Bike Grand Prix is modelled and played differently to the traditional Grand Prix.
Being set across multiple nations, the E-Bike Grand Prix’s layout will be dependent on the cities willing to host it. The aim for the course is to be set around a multitude of famous landmarks, while also having tracks designed to be seen by as many individuals as possible. This is because watching the race in person is free to the general public, and if the race’s message of reconsidering travel in the city is to be heard, it is important it is seen by as many people as possible.
It is also the e-bikes themselves that greatly impact the way the race is run, with a unique challenge set to challenge riders and wow onlookers. It is well known that e-bikes only store a certain amount of power, meaning that for athletes, where and when to use that power can drastically affect their position in the race. Therefore, the E-Bike Grand Prix is not only a test of physical strength, but of resource management and strategy too.
It makes the race seem almost reminiscent of a F1 driving race, with this level of strategy and management of aspects like pit stops. However, since the competition’s goal is to display e-bikes as an alternative to driving in busy metropolitan areas, maybe this correlation is an intentional one.
The E-Bike Grand Prix is set to begin in late 2022 with a showcase event in Dubai, before the series continues its tour across 10 cities around the world across 2023. The event can be viewed live for free in the showcasing cities, or through the international broadcast via TV and other digital media through their series’ partner, Sunset+Vine.
Still not convinced? Then check out this trailer:
