The most important event of the 2014 Taiwan Cycling Festival, the “Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge,” took place today. The route ran from Qixingtan Beach in Hualien to Wuling on Hehuanshan, covering a total of 105 kilometers, and was won by Danish rider John Ebsen, who claimed the NT$1 million prize.
The “Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge” of the 2014 Taiwan Cycling Festival officially started at 6:30 AM. The route began at Qixingtan Beach in Hualien and ended at Wuling on Hehuanshan at an altitude of 3,275 meters, with a total distance of 105 kilometers.
The Tourism Bureau announced that this year’s challenge had a total prize pool of NT$2.41 million, with Danish rider John Ebsen (John Ebsen) taking the overall championship and the NT$1 million prize.
The opening ceremony of the “Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge” was launched with a gunshot by Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih, Legislative Yuan member Wang Ting-sheng, Deputy Director of the Tourism Bureau Liu Xilin, Deputy Director of Hualien County Government Tourism Division Peng Weizu, and Chairman of the Republic of China Cycling Association Dong Junren. Taiwan’s tourism ambassador “Oh Bear Leader” also made an appearance at the event.
This year, a total of 473 riders from 28 countries participated, including Taiwanese elites such as 2013 King of the Mountain third-place finisher Wang Yin-zhi, Feng Chun-kai – the first Taiwanese rider to join a WorldTour professional cycling team, and two-time Taroko King of the Mountain winner Fan Yong-yi, among others. 1031115
(CNA)