Taiwan Cup Cancelled!!! Dreams Of Taiwan Cycling Festival Blown Away By Typhoon

Due to Typhoon Megi, organizers of the Taiwan Cup and Taiwan Bike Festival have cancelled the remainder of the events that were to be held in the lead-up and conclusion of the nation's most substantive event for putting Taiwanese cycling on the tourist map.

Torrential rains in the Suao area have already led to severe landslides that collapsed a section of roadway with 20 Chinese tourists missing.

The cancellation was a necessary and responsible step with the dangers posed by seasonal typhoons that pass Taiwan between early July and late October.

I am a bit disappointed that visiting cyclists will be unable to experience the beauty and joys of cycling Taiwan, such as those I try to highlight on this blog, but it was an inevitable development in the face of a seasonal storm.

I hope the organizers will use a little due diligence and schedule events such as these during periods of more reliable weather. This was simply careless planning that unnecessarily led to a huge waste of both public and private resources that could have been better allocated to support Taiwan's cycling infrastructure.

Live and learn.

Tough Old Bird Tackles Taiwan For Cancer

As I reported on here, Sue Greene, an athletically accomplished mother of three, will be riding 300 miles over Taiwan's mountainous terrain in the name of cancer research. link

The 51 year-old rider plans to complete the journey in 5 days, despite having just recovered from a serious crash.

The married mother-of-three said: “I’ve got a friend who is terminally ill. I have also lost a couple of friends to cancer and this opportunity came up to raise money for Clatterbridge.

“I started cycling first in Easter with Middleton’s cycling group in Ormskirk. Shortly after I thought I’d give this a go. I’ve done marathons and I thought, I’m going to have a go at doing this.”

But it was uncertain if the challenge would go ahead after she crashed into a road barrier at the start of the month. Despite falling off her bicycle, breaking her rib and collarbone, she is determined to complete the challenge.

Sue said: “My collarbone has knitted wrongly but it has knitted in a way that works. My rib just sorted itself out. I was livid that I had to have a few weeks off. It hasn’t put me off at all. I still really enjoy cycling.”

This calendar year I have seen several friends and their families come face to face with cancer and it is an ugly disease that robs us of parents, children, spouses, friends and loved ones. Fortunately, the people I know are all survivors or winning the battle. There are still so many who aren't so fortunate.

I would like to wish Ms. Greene good luck and I hope Taiwan's riders will join her on her journey.