Taiwanese Amateurs To See Brest in August

Taiwan Focus Reports:

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) Taiwan's first international cycling marathon will take place in Pingtung County in May on a new road around a bay in the southern county, the Tourism Bureau announced Thursday.

The Dapeng Bay International Cycling Marathon, sanctioned by French cycling club Audax Club Parisien, will run May 21-22 on the 12.3 km road around Dapeng Bay, said Johnson Sheu, director of the Dapeng Bay Scenic Area Administration, at a press conference held at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

The news came following an announcement that 47 local cyclists are scheduled to participate in the 2011 Paris-Brest-Paris 1,200 km event -- the world's oldest bicycling event on the open road -- in August 21-25.

Led by Cheng Wen-chang, who in 2007 became the first person from Taiwan to complete the cycling challenge, the participants finished 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km rides this year to qualify for the French event, which began in 1891.

"It will be a great achievement if I can complete the ride," said Hana Hung, one of eight female cyclists to register for the race.

The cyclists will ride individually and will try to complete the ride, also called the Brevet, within 90 hours.

The French event, beginning on the southern side of Paris and traveling west 600 km to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returning alone

What I find really exciting about this news is that Taiwanese are integrating themselves into world cycling. With more Taiwanese interested and passionate about cycling, we can only hope to see more Taiwanese included in global cycling events. As the sport in Taiwan matures, the possibility of a Taiwanese breaking in to the pro peloton becomes even more likely.