Feng Jun-kai, a top rider from Taiwan’s Action Cycling Team who had been out of the spotlight earlier this year due to severe pneumonia, lived up to expectations at the first Taiwan Cup International Road Cycling Race yesterday. He crossed the finish line alongside Japan’s Aoyanagi Noriaki and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Polivoda. The finish-line camera declared Aoyanagi the winner, while Feng took third place and also earned the title of “King of the Mountains,” putting in a stellar performance.
The inaugural 2011 Taiwan Cup International Road Race kicked off yesterday in Hualien. The event attracted riders from 11 countries, including Spain, Australia, Malaysia, the United States, Italy, Ukraine, China, the Netherlands, Japan, France, and Argentina, as well as the Rabobank team, ranked fourth in the world’s top-tier cycling teams.
The invitational race covered a challenging 199.2-kilometer route from the Huatung Valley through the Yuchang Highway and along the coastal highway back to Hualien. The tough course and hot weather meant the Rabobank team didn’t push their limits, with their top rider, Bardet, finishing 13th. Jiao Pengda from China’s Wansheng Cycling Team came in fifth, 48 seconds behind.
It’s rare for Taiwanese cyclists to compete directly against riders from WorldTour-level professional teams that compete in the Tour de France. Feng Jun-kai made it into the leading group of 16 riders in Fenglin, Hualien. That lead group gradually extended their gap over the main peloton—from 1 minute 10 seconds to 4 minutes, and then to 8 minutes 50 seconds on the Yuchang Highway.
Feng secured third place in the first climb point at Wuhu, then took first at the second climb on the Yuchang Highway and the third at Shui Lian. With 15 points, he claimed the “King of the Mountains” title. He then formed the final leading group of four with Japan’s Aoyanagi Noriaki, and riders from Ukraine and France.
With 500 meters to the finish, the sprint for position began. Feng Jun-kai, Aoyanagi Noriaki, and Oleksandr Polivoda all arrived at the finish line together, all clocking 4 hours, 47 minutes and 1 second. However, the finish-line camera declared Aoyanagi the winner, with Feng in third. Aoyanagi said, “The race route and weather made it very challenging—it was a hard-fought win. My initial strategy was to keep close to Feng Jun-kai.”
Feng Jun-kai said, “Earlier this year I was seriously ill and wasn’t in good shape. I’m grateful to my teammates and coach for sticking with me and helping me regain my form. The early part of the race, where we were chasing, was really tough, but I felt better in the second half after recovering some energy.” Feng believes his sprinting ability still needs improvement.