The annual "International Tour de Taiwan Cycle Race," one of the events on the International Cycling Union (UCI) Asia Tour, will be held from March 10 to 16. Following Irish international race director Michael Robb’s praise in 2011 for the event’s world-class scale comparable to the Tour de France, the 2012 edition has officially been upgraded to a UCI 2.1 category – a top-tier race. The total race spans 7 days across 7 stages, featuring 100 elite riders from 20 teams representing 14 countries. The first stage begins in Taipei City, followed by New Taipei City in the second stage, Taoyuan County in the third, Taichung City in the fourth, Changhua County in the fifth, Tainan City in the sixth, and Kaohsiung City in the seventh.
The 2012 International Tour de Taiwan Cycle Race marks its 24th edition and enjoys widespread acclaim internationally. (Photo provided by the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association)
On the morning of March 5, at the Changhua County Government courtyard, Governor Cho Po-yuan of Changhua County, Secretary-General Li Kai-chih of the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association, local cyclists Zhang Wei? and Xie Zhengying representing Taiwan’s professional team, held a press conference to cheer on the athletes and announce the start of the Changhua stage. On March 14, top international professional cyclists will set off from the iconic Eight Trigrams Mountain Giant Buddha in Changhua County. In pursuit of their dreams for the 2012 London Olympics, Taiwan’s top cycling talents are giving their all to earn valuable points for Olympic qualification. Among them, local riders Zhang Wei? and Xie Zhengying, representing the RTS professional team and the QianJing professional team respectively, are shining representatives of Changhua.
Changhua County is known as Taiwan’s hub for cycling, boasting an extensive network of leisure cycling routes. The first bicycle industry museum in Taiwan was also established here under the promotion of the Changhua County Government, making “cycling” one of the county’s defining features. The 2012 Changhua stage includes one mountain climb and two sprint points over a challenging 136.05-kilometer course that will test the riders' stamina and endurance. The rider with the highest accumulated points in each stage will win the stage champion trophy and don the prestigious yellow jersey, symbolizing the overall individual leader.
For more information about each stage of the race, please visit the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association’s official website at www.cycling.org.tw
● Related Reading: International Cyclists Arrive in Taiwan as the Taiwan Cup International Road Race Kicks Off
www.tripass.net/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=6508