Tour de Taiwan, the nation’s top professional cycling event and part of the Union Cycliste Internationale Asia Tour, kicked off March 17 in Taipei City.
 
Nearly 120 cyclists from 30 countries and territories representing 20 teams, including six locals competing for Team Taiwan, are battling it out over the five-stage, 717.94 kilometer north-south route.
 
The 83.2 km first stage, comprising eight laps of Taipei, was won by Colombia’s Bryan Gomez Penaloza of Team Manzana Postobon in a time of 1 hour, 45 minutes and 16 seconds. Jonathan Clarke of Australia, racing for Floyd’s Pro Cycling, came home first in the 118.88 km second stage through the northern city of Taoyuan, finishing in a time of 2 hours, 45 minutes and 20 seconds.
 
For the third stage, the cyclists are set to compete along a 156.5 km section of Taiwan Romantic Route 3 through Hakka villages in the northern counties of Hsinchu and Miaoli as well as the central city of Taichung.
 
The 166.56 km fourth stage will be held in central Taiwan’s Nantou County, passing by popular scenic locations such as Sun Moon Lake. The final stage March 21 takes the racers along a 192.8 km route through the southern county of Pingtung ending in Dapeng Bay.
 
Established in 1978 by King Liu, founder of Taiwan-based bicycle-maker Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Tour de Taiwan was first included in the UCI Asia Tour in 2005.
 
Since 2003, the Tour has climbed from the lowest 2.6 grade on the UCI scale for international cycling competitions to its current position as a 2.1 race, one level below the UCI Continental Circuits in Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania and two below the UCI World Tour events, such as the prestigious Grand Tours in France, Italy and Spain. (HC-E)