The second stage of the Tour de Taiwan took riders through the vast terrain of New Taipei City. Representing the Action Cycling Team, Taiwanese cyclist Chen Jianliang shook off the shadow of a crash in the first stage. Not only did he secure third place and points at the first sprint, but he also surged ahead in the final stretch to finish ninth overall, making him the top-performing Asian rider of the stage. Aside from showcasing his impressive sprinting ability, he also successfully completed a team task ahead of a climb, delivering an outstanding performance.
The New Taipei City stage was quite challenging, covering a total distance of 114.67 kilometers. Starting from Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, the route followed the Northern Coastal Highway through Sanchi, Shimen, Jinshan, Yehliu, and Wanli before turning back at Aodi to the Baishawan Visitor Center. In addition to two climbing sections, the key battleground was the uphill battle on the Macao Creek climb. Racing along the coastal highway, riders faced strong headwinds and crosswinds, adding to the difficulty.
James from the Great Britain Eagle Team won the stage. He explained that with five kilometers to go, there was still one rider ahead, about 15 seconds ahead of him. James caught up while conserving energy, then took advantage of a tailwind in the final kilometer, pushing his speed to around 60 km/h, before launching his attack to claim the stage victory.
Xu Ruide, coach of Taiwan's Action Continental Team, said the original goal was to secure one of the top two positions at the first climb. Both Chen Jianliang and Yang Wuxing managed to get into good positions, but due to their lack of experience, they ended up leading the charge just before the climb against Alex from the U.S.-based Alpha Bicycle KHS Team—an area where they shouldn’t have been at the front. In the end, Yang Wuxing and Chen Jianliang finished second and third respectively.
“We didn’t get first or second, but we got second and third—that’s about 80% of the goal achieved. We also secured a decent position at the last climb, just a pity we didn’t take it. For the third stage, there are three more King of the Mountains points up for grabs. I think if our team positioning is good, we still have a good chance,” Xu Ruide said. Although he expressed some regret, he emphasized that there were still opportunities to fight for in the upcoming stages.