Cyclists from 36 nations are preparing to take part in the annual Taiwan King of the Mountain (KOM) Challenge, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.
The race has been rated by French magazine Le Cycle as one of the toughest races in the world.
The Taiwan Cyclist Federation, organizer of the race, said 385 cyclists are to compete in this year’s race, which is to begin at Hualien’s Cisingtan Beach (七星潭) and finish in Wuling (武嶺) on Hehuanshan (合歡山), 3,275m above sea level.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
About 90km of the 105km route has an average inclination of 7 percent.
The most challenging part of the race is the final 10km, where cyclists have to battle inclines varying from 17 percent to 27 percent before reaching the finish line.
To attract top cyclists from around the world, the race has awarded NT$2.41 million (US$76,367 at the current exchange rate) in prizes since 2014. The top prize in the men’s group is NT$1 million, while the top prize in the women’s group is NT$200,000.
A strict anti-doping policy is enforced.
The Taiwan KOM Challenge has become one of the must-do races among cycling enthusiasts, Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General Wayne Liu (劉喜臨) said, adding that it is also one of the highlights of the Taiwan Cycling Festival.
“You will know why Taiwan is called Ilha Formosa [beautiful island in Portuguese] if you ride the last 10km of the race,” Liu said. “If you have already completed the nine-day around-the-island bicycle tour and want to test your physical limit, I would advise you to come and try the KOM Challenge.”
The race has attracted a wide variety of participants, including professional cyclists, triathletes, bike tour guides and amateur cycling enthusiasts, the bureau said.
Spanish cyclist Omar Fraile, who defended his mountains classification title at this year’s Vuelta a Espana, is scheduled to compete for a second time, the bureau said, adding that one of his Dimension Data teammates is also to join the race this year.
British triathlete Emma Pooley, who won the silver medal in the women’s road time trial at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and secured gold in the women’s time trial at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships, is also to compete this year, the bureau said.
Yumiko Goda, who finished seventh in this year’s National Championships Japan WE road race, is to join the race for the first time.
“The scenery here is beautiful and the food is delicious,” Goda said. “I will do my best for the race on Friday. I want to win.”
Bike tour guide Jeff Barth of the US also plans to participate for the first time.
“We bring people from the US, Denmark and England. They would be blown away by the beauty of the island once they get away, such as the picturesque East Rift Valley and the hot springs,” he said.
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