A series of events will officially kick off on November 10. Cycling enthusiasts, come and shine at this year’s hottest event in the cycling world.
Since 2010, the Tourism Bureau and other organizations have successfully held two editions of the “Taiwan Cycling Festival” series, transforming innovative transportation infrastructure achievements into tourism resources and experiences. This year, the “2012 Taiwan Cycling Festival” series, organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, will officially launch on November 10, warmly inviting all Taiwanese to create “cycling” milestones together and promote Taiwan.
King of the Mountain Challenge: Foreigners Join the Competition
The “2012 Taiwan Cycling Festival” series, running from November 10 to 18, offers a variety of events. One of the main events, the “Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge,” saw long-time Taiwan resident and nature-loving foreign rider Lee Rodgers share his years of documenting Taiwan’s beauty at a Tourism Bureau press conference. Another life fighter, He Xinru—who is Taiwan’s first world wheelchair dance champion and queen—also talked about how she signed up for the “Ride Around Formosa 900” event to fulfill her childhood dream of cycling around Taiwan, joining many others with similar aspirations.
“We push our wheelchairs downhill, hand over hand, using three to four times more effort than regular cyclists,” she said. After losing her legs in a car accident, she once considered suicide, but now everything is different. “I also want to travel around the beautiful whole of Taiwan, just like anyone else.”
The irresistible “2012 Taiwan Cycling Festival” lasts eight days. It kicks off on November 10 with the “Taiwan King of the Mountain Cycling Challenge,” which tests steep climbs. The event invites top cyclists from around the world who have won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España to take on the internationally renowned “Taroko Gorge.” The challenge features a continuous 100-kilometer climb and the highest elevation gain in the world (rising from 0 meters to 3,275 meters above sea level, with an average of 36 meters of climb per kilometer), making it even more enticing for these seasoned riders. (Text continues on page B9)