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Get set for Taiwan's Tour

Cyclists representing teams from Germany, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Kaza-khstan will be arriving in Taiwan this weekend to join local riders in preparation for the 2002 Tour de Taiwan, which begins in Kaoshiung next Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the event organizers, the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association (CTCA), confirmed yesterday that 97 competitors representing 43 clubs have already registered to compete in this year's event. Race organizers, however, expect several more teams will register over the following two days bringing the total number of competitors to well over 100.

As part of the Union Cycliste Internationale's (UCI) annual calendar, the Tour de Taiwan has, with the exception of last year when financial difficulties forced organizers to postpone the event, been pitting some the world's top cyclists against each other since 1990.

Based in Switzerland, the UCI works in cooperation with international cycling federations and associations around the world in order to promote all aspects of cycling, both professional and amateur. The union is responsible for the international ranking systems for road racing, cyclo-cross, BMX, indoor cycling and track racing.

Whilst confident that this year's event will attract a record number of riders, as recently as August it looked as if the event wouldn't be taking place at all. And, after last year's cancellation, the UCI was nearly forced to drop it from its calendar.

Citing the nation's economic downturn and lack of adequate funding for national sporting events as the reasons behind the near cancellation of the race, the CTCA received a last minute reprieve. In late October, organizers decided that in order for the race to go ahead its over-all length would have to be halved.

Although somewhat shorter than organizers initially intended, the CTCA has chosen a similarly grueling course for this year's race.

Taking riders on a 693km tour of mainly southern Taiwan, the six-day race will take place over six stages.

Day one will see the cyclists tackling a relatively flat 176.7km leg, which will take them from Kaoshiung City to Taitung via Fangshan in Pintung County. Riders will get their first taste of mountain air on day two, when they will hit the 173.4km mountain road which winds its way from Taitung to Hualian.

Day three gives the riders a chance to show their mettle when they compete in a total of 30 two-kilometer time trials around Hualien City.

From paved city streets the cyclists move on the Central Mountain range and Hohuanshan on day four. Although this stage reaches heights of over 3000m it is also the race's shortest leg at only 41.4km.

On day five, the longest leg of this year's Tour de Taiwan, riders will tackle some of the race's most difficult terrain in Nantou County and a grueling 182.2km leg, which will take them over roads still in disrepair from the nation's devastating 921 earthquake three years ago.

The final day sees the city of Kaoshiung playing host to a series of 24 two-and-a-half-kilometer time trials.
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