The fifth stage of the 2010 Tour de Taiwan was fiercely competitive. The mountainous roads of Miaoli didn’t slow down the riders, but Feng Jun-kai from Taiwan’s Giant Pro Cycling Team surprisingly lost his King of the Mountains jersey in his hometown. Meanwhile, David McCann from the Giant Asia Racing Team narrowly defended his yellow jersey. The stage winner was Downing from the British Rapha Condor team.
Taiwan’s Giant Pro Cycling Team coach Rod Ellingworth once said: “The second half of the Tour de Taiwan better reveals the strength of foreign riders.” Indeed, the Miaoli stage, with the longest distance (157.31 km) and highest elevation (507 m), turned into a battle between Europe and Asia, with fierce competition among European, Japanese, and Hong Kong riders—even Hong Kong’s Wong Kam-po joined the fray.
The Miaoli race route shifted from the mountainous Route 3 road to the flat coastal roads of Tongxiao, then back to Yuanli and Sanyi via Route 3. This reverse traversal of the early Tour de Taiwan’s Route 3 included three sprint points and three mountain points, all crucial for riders battling for rankings.
Feng Jun-kai of the Giant Pro Cycling Team aimed to secure more mountain points and solidify his hold on the King of the Mountains jersey. Unfortunately, although he earned points at all three mountain points, Hong Kong’s Choi Yiu-ho clinched first place at the second and third mountain points, surpassing Feng by two points overall and claiming the red polka-dot jersey.
Feng Jun-kai said: “Today’s intensity was high. I trained hard on the climbs and won the first mountain point, but Choi Yiu-ho is also very strong. My goal now is to reclaim the red polka-dot jersey. I still have a chance in the two climbs at tomorrow’s Taipei County stage.”
David McCann of the Giant Asia Racing Team, who had worn the yellow jersey for the first four stages, faced a crisis yesterday. As a sprinter, he struggles on mountainous terrain. Coach Lin Wen-chin said: “In the final 20 km, I instructed the whole team to give their all to chase the leading group.” In the end, McCann crossed the finish line with the main peloton and retained his yellow jersey.
Downing from Britain’s Rapha Condor team and riders from the Merida Europe Team lined up for a final sprint. Japan’s Takashi Miyazawa, who had won the previous two stages, also made a late surge. Miyazawa and Downing almost crossed the line simultaneously, but Downing ultimately won the Miaoli stage in 3 hours, 49 minutes, and 39 seconds. Miyazawa retained the Asian blue jersey.
The sixth stage of the Tour de Taiwan will start at 10:00 AM today in Taipei County, covering 131 km. This is the last chance for endurance riders to fight for the overall general classification.