The 2017 Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge will start at 6 a.m. tomorrow, featuring former Tour de France yellow jersey wearers, five past kings of the mountain, and others — including “politically bold” mainland Chinese riders who have quietly joined the race. A total of 592 cyclists from 32 countries will compete for the title atop Hehuanshan’s “Wuling Peak.”
The race will begin at sea level at Qixingtan Beach on the Pacific coast in Hualien, pass through Tarako’s towering and deep mountain gorges, and reach Taiwan’s highest highway point — Wuling on Hehuanshan. Spanning an altitude rise from 0 to 3,275 meters over 105 kilometers, it is considered by cycling enthusiasts around the world as a “classic route that one must challenge at least once in a lifetime.”
In 2011, Tour de France “yellow jersey” wearer Evans described the Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge as “the most grueling cycling climb on the planet.” Now retired, Evans said he would focus on enjoying the race and the beautiful scenery. American cyclist Cameron is also returning to Taiwan to take on the King of the Mountain challenge after competing in the Taiwan Round-the-Island Race.
Nicolas Roche, the first-time visitor to Taiwan and triple crown winner of the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, and Tour de France, stated that he is in Taiwan at the invitation of his sponsor, Merida. With approximately 27% of the course being steep slopes, the Taiwan King of the Mountain is highly challenging and a race he is eager to compete in. He is going all out to fight for the championship.
Additionally, nearly all past kings of the mountain are present. John Ebsen from Denmark, who won the Taiwan King of the Mountain overall championship in both 2012 and 2014, 2015 champion Damien Monier from France, who was unable to defend his title last year due to an injury before the race, and 2016 King of the Mountain Oscar Pujol Munoz from Spain are all here to compete fiercely.
The women’s field not only hit a record high of 50 participants but also features the strongest lineup in history. Britain’s Emma Pooley, who just achieved her fourth consecutive victory at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in September, faces major challenges from 2013 and 2015 champion Yuki Kobayashi from Japan and German cyclocross champion Judith Arndt on her path to defending her title.
Emma Pooley, who won last year’s race with borrowed gear, joked: “For any athlete, if given the chance, of course you want to defend your title. But this year’s field is incredibly strong, with several top female riders. This time I have better equipment, and I’ll give it my all to fight for the win, hoping to surpass my previous performance.”
This course has been ranked by the renowned French cycling magazine Le Cycle as one of the world’s ten toughest challenges, alongside the Alpine stages of the Tour de France, earning the nickname “Heaven’s Road.” This year, not only has the number of participants reached a new high, but the number of international riders has also surpassed that of local cyclists for the first time, with 318 foreign riders making up 53.71% of the total. Quite a few mainland Chinese riders are also scattered across elite and age-group categories, taking on Taiwan’s iconic mountain roads, paying little mind to the current political climate.
(China Times)