数百人参加绿色骑游 呼吁减少碳排放
法兴银行骑乐无穷自行车赛北方区首站在津举行
本报讯 6月21日，“法兴银行杯”2009骑乐无穷自行车赛在天津奥体中心体育场”水滴”举行，300余名业余自行车选手参加各组别的角逐。同时，500余名自行车爱好者参加“绿色骑游”呼吁减少碳排放。
作为北方赛区首站比赛，天津站的比赛较4月12日在上海泰晤士小镇举行的比赛，声势更为浩大。经过最终角逐，简志航、孔宪嘉、程沙沙分获男子山地公开组、男子公路公开组、女子公路公开组等各组别的冠军，而车队冠军则被来自上海的闪电车队摘得。
环保理念先行 绿色骑游受追捧
216月21日上午9时，来自天津体育局、法兴银行以及众多天津市民组成的自行车爱好者等近500余名环保志愿者环绕天津奥体中心绿色骑行5公里。其中，最引人注目的是来自唐山、天津的平均年龄已60余岁的 “夕阳红骑行队”。“法兴银行举行‘骑乐无穷’自行车赛绿色骑游非常有意义，骑车不仅可锻炼身体，还可为环保做点贡献。多骑些车，尾气污染就会少一些。”夕阳红骑行队一位老大妈激动地告诉记者。
据了解，绿色环保是法兴银行的一贯理念，今年已经是法兴银行第二次携手“骑乐无穷”。去年9月，首届“法兴银行杯”骑乐无穷自行车文化节在北京朝阳公园举行，现场观众超过3000余人，京城曾掀起一股单车风潮。今年3月22日和4月12日先后在广州和上海举行的比赛已先后吸引上千名环保志愿者参加了绿色骑游。
法国兴业银行（中国）有限公司个人及商业银行业务总监毕鹏飞先生对此表示，“法兴银行始终倡导绿色环保，这是法兴银行企业社会责任的具体行动。”
顶级业余选手云集 奥体中心上演“环法”
随着环法赛风潮席卷中国后，国内自行车运动的逐年升温，越来越多自行车运动爱好者加入这一行列。据了解，2009赛季的环法大赛将于7月4日在摩纳哥开赛，而“法兴银行杯”2009骑乐无穷自行车赛天津站提前上演中国版的“环法”赛。比赛吸引了闪电车队、TREK车队、禧玛诺车队等国内顶级业余自行车队和顶级业余选手纷纷加入，比赛激烈程度堪比“环法”。
“法兴银行‘骑乐无穷’能够聚集国内如此之多的顶级车队参赛，在国内业余自行车比赛中实属罕见。虽为业余赛事，赛事运营却达到了专业水准，赛事组织、赛事报道都极具专业水平。”天津体育局领导告诉记者，“除天津有着非常好的自行车运动群众基础外，选择在举办过2008年奥运会的“水滴”举行比赛，也是吸引众多业余自行车爱好者参加的重要原因之一。”
作为国内首个环中国高端业余自行车比赛，“法兴银行杯”2009骑乐无穷自行车赛共计5站，分别为广州、上海、天津、武汉和北京，代表中国5大最具经济活力的城市。法国兴业银行（中国）有限公司个人及商业银行业务总监毕鹏飞向记者介绍说，“虽然中国自行车保有量全球第一，但自行车王国的优势并没有转化成自行车体育运动的成果，希望骑乐无穷自行车赛能够让更多人喜好上自行车运动”。
据悉，总决赛将于9月在北京举行，“我们将以此绿色的赛事提前祝贺中国六十华诞，希望北京的天空更蓝、更美。这也是法兴银行应尽的企业社会公民责任。” 法国兴业银行（中国）有限公司个人及商业银行业务总监毕鹏飞对此表示。
Societe Generale-sponsored Cycling Race
in Tianjin
Hundreds pedal for carbon emission reductions
Tianjin, China – June 21, 2009:
More than 300 amateur cyclists hit the road for The Societe Generale Cup Cycling Race at the Tianjin Olympic Center today, as 500-plus environmental crusaders also rolled their legs over as part of the French bank’s quest to help cut carbon emissions.
Following fierce competition, the Men’s Mountain Open, Men’s Highway Open and Women’s Highway Open were snatched by Jian Zhihang, Kong Xianjia and Cheng Shasha respectively, while Shanghai’s Lightning outfit took team honors.
Aside from the competition, a group of 500-plus environmentally conscious riders, including cyclists from the Tianjin municipal bureau of sports together with local residents, began a 5km “green ride” around the Tianjin Olympic Center. They were joined by staff of Societe Generale who, realizing the sport is both potential environmental savior and a great form of exercise, actively sought to back a big cycling event.
“The more cycling the less exhaust pollution,” one grandmother from Team Sunset, whose members advancing age made it the most venerable, told reporters, conveying the environmental showpiece’s key message.
As China’s first high-end amateur cycling tour, the Societe Generale Cup consists of five stages - Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan and Beijing.
This year’s event marked the France-based bank’s second sponsorship after the first Societe Generale Cup drew more than 3,000 spectators to Beijing’s Chaoyang Park last September. After the sport benefited from that shot in the arm in the Chinese capital, the Guangzhou and Shanghai rounds held on March 22 and April 12 respectively also attracted thousands of environmental volunteers.
“Societe Generale has consistently advocated environmental protection. This year’s cycling race serves as the bank’s big initiative to fulfill its social responsibilities,” said Bi Pengfei, head of the bank’s personnel and corporate banking. “China has the world’s largest cycling population, but its advantage as the bicycle empire has not transformed into competitive achievements. We hope this year’s races will make more people love cycling.”
The successful Tianjin event, held two weeks before the Tour de France’s first stage in Monaco, pitted the following teams against each other: Lightening, TREK, Skil-Shimano and other top-level amateur squads.
“Despite being an amateur event, the organization, operation and media coverage of the race, however, rivaled that of a professional event,” an official with the Tianjin municipal bureau of sports told reporters.
“The choice of the municipal Olympic Center as host venue is also probably one of the reasons why so many amateur cyclers have turned out.”
The event’s final race will be held in Beijing next month.
“The green race will be taken as an event to celebrate the 60th birthday of the new China,” said Bi. “We earnestly expect a bluer and more beautiful sky over the capital. “This is also a social responsibility Societe Generale as an enterprise should help fulfill.”
