With preparations under way for the Tour de Taiwan in March next year, enthusiasts recalled how the race has evolved from an annual sports event to an opportunity to introduce Taiwan to the world.
Lee Kai-chih (
That changed in 1978, when the Tour de Taiwan was first held. It began as an international invitational event sponsored by local bicycle manufacturers like Giant Manufacturing Co (巨大機械).
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHINESE TAIPEI CYCLING ASSOCIATION
Today the Tour de Taiwan is an international cycling event recognized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
"The event has promoted unity in the nation's cycling community," Lee said.
Manufacturers used to donate NT$1 for every bicycle exported overseas to help fund the Tour, he said.
Since it was only an invitational event, not many bicycle teams were willing to come to Taiwan, even though the organizers offered additional benefits as incentives, Lee said.
The turning point came in 2005, when the UCI rated the Tour de Taiwan as a level 2.2 tournament on the UCI Asia Tour. The tournament's total prize pot reached US$37,000.
The race has since drawn teams from more than 20 countries.
With its designated route passing through several tourist attractions, the national tourism bureau has enthusiastically backed the Tour de Taiwan Lee said.
Not only does the race attract overseas visitors, it also showcases the beauty of the nation and customs of the people, he said.
For next year, the bureau has asked local authorities along the route to host special events for the race at each stage.
Starting in 2005, the bureau entrusted local broadcaster ESPN with the task of covering the race.
Chinese Taipei Cycling Association vice director-general Wang Mei-hsiang (
Although ESPN recorded this year's race in March, it was broadcast in July in a bid to reach a bigger audience.
Steven Kuo Su (
In addition to the race, each episode introduces highlights of Taiwan toward the end, such as a scenic spot or the food in a night market along the way.
The station was also tasked with producing a 20-second preview for next year's race, which was broadcast before the premiere of the episodes.
"The investment is really worth it," Su said, "given that the channel can be viewed in 20 countries in Asia and has an audience of 100 million people."
Lee said 40 cycling teams have applied to participate in next year's Tour de Taiwan, which runs from March 9 to March 16. The total prize pot will jump from NT$45,000 this year to US$50,000.
The race will begin at the Love River (愛河) in Kaohsiung and end at Taipei 101 seven days later.
Along the route, cyclists will ride through Baguashan (
After the race, visitors can also attend the Taipei International Cycle Show held from March 13 to March 16th at the new Nangang Exhibition Hall of the Taipei World Trade Center.
In addition to the 2008 Tour de Taiwan, the nation also won the right to host the UCI Asia Tour event in 2010, Lee said.
The Kaohsiung City Government is planning to build a facility for the event, which will resemble the Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney, Australia.
The construction is estimated to cost about NT$100 million and is partially funded by the Sports Affairs Council. It is to be completed by 2009, Lee said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to