Cycling pros head to Taiwan

The 2011 Taiwan Cycling Festival is set to start on November 6, marking a key event in the development of Taiwan into an international cycling destination. This will be the first of a regular cycling festival to be held in Taiwan.

The festival will be opened on November 5 in Hualien with a series of events from music performances and hot springs cuisines, and will run through to November 14 with a series of races by the world’s elite cyclists.

The first race event will be the ‘Taiwan Cup’, which will see elite cyclists compete in a 200km road race. Competing cyclists include the world number 4 ranked Rabobank team, and Spanish cyclist Amets Txurruka, winner of the 2007 Tur de France Combativity Award.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau hopes that the Festival will help promote Taiwan as an ideal travel destination for cycling enthusiasts from around the world.

‘Turning this Festival into Asia’s most prominent cycling competition will really boost Taiwan’s international visibility,’ said Taiwan’s Premier Wu Den-yih.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) who are preparing the festival, have established bicycle routes along Taiwan’s eastern coast along with accompanying facilities and training personnel.

The 2011 Festival will highlight three unique features of Taiwan: its east coast mountain and seashore scenery, the culture of its indigenous people, and its globally prominent bicycle manufacturers.

‘The Festival will integrate marketing of the natural beauty, rich culture and cycling-friendly environment of Eastern Taiwan, making it a hallmark event for molding the region’s tourism image,’ said Premier Wu.

‘The Festival will also demonstrate the health benefits and pleasure that the public can obtain from sports activities, while showcasing Taiwan’s vitality and efforts to save energy and reduce carbon emissions,’ he added, commenting on the importance of instilling a healthy lifestyle into the population of Taiwan.

Cycling in Taiwan has grown in popularity over recent years, with many tour operators offering group and individual cycling tours around the island. Tours include round-island trips or shorter trips along the Taiwan’s spectacular coastline or to the mountainous centre of the island.