Overcoming A Challenge: Taiwan's KOM Breakthrough to Worldwide Recognition

By the late morning on October 20, the sixth edition of the Taiwan KOM Challenge winner circle was in the books while the remaining masochists on two wheels lurched toward the summit of Wuling Pass for several more hours. The effort may have been an immediate triumph for those fortunate enough to stand a meter or two above the 3275m summit atop a small wooden podium, it was also a victory for each participant brave, dumb or crazy enough to commit their names and bodies to the event.

More than this, it was a triumph for the event as a race in general.

For well over a decade Wuling has played host to numerous locally sanctioned, and some not so sanctioned, hill climb events from both sides of the mountain. Most of these events had been organized (and dis-organized) by local cycling clubs. With the explosion in recreational cycling beginning in 2006, the strain on organizers, infrastructure and interests groups threatened to turn any Wuling climbing event into a dangerous Tour de-farce. I recall a couple of events where traffic control was pulled while hundreds of riders remained on the roadway. Other events were held with dangerously low levels of medical support.

In 2012, just as Wuling rides had reached a critical mass, the inaugural Taiwan KOM Challenge was held as an open event with only 380 riders of all levels scrapping for the same prize--a KOM jersey and about $USD2600 for the men...and about $USD330 for women. The initial run was a mere 100km, and was won by the Danish rider, John Ebsen, who has essentially been adopted by Taichung as a hometown hero.

Thinking back, it was a really big deal. Ebsen held off some Protour riders with grand tour pedigree in Jeremy Roy, with other top contenders in Anthony Chartreau, Peter Pauly and the former Tour of Taiwan GC winner, David McCann.

For Taiwanese who constantly have to struggle for international visibility against China's desire to have Taiwan's lands, peoples, cultures and systems subsumed by a neocolonialism with Chinese characteristics, the attention and recognition by an accomplished anybody from abroad who can recognize Taiwan as an entity in and of itself is already enough to make headlines. This was pretty sweet stuff in 2012.

For 2017, the Taiwan KOM turned things up to eleven. The freshly minted 2017 race was built upon the nearly 600 participants who threw themselves at that mountain for 106km, with over half arriving from abroad to compete.  In six short years the event has broken away from being a scrappy local race into the punctuation mark at the end of the international cycling season.

This year the Taiwan KOM was won by Vincenzo Nibali (3:19), the stringy Italian who made his name as a tenacious climber in the 2010 Giro di Italia and has spent the past seven years battling at the head of the GC leaderboards of all the grand tours with GC victories in each of the big three. Nibali is seen as one of the most talented riders of the post-Armstrong era... and he chose to close out his season in Taiwan. Its is enough to make any cyclist in Taiwan get all rosy cheeked. The fact that one of Nibali's major sponsors at Bahrain-Merida is a major Taiwan bicycle manufacturer may have been the nudge he needed to postpone his vacation until late October.

"It was a hard race because we went from sea level up to 3,275 metres. I've never ridden such a long and hard climb before in my entire life," Vincenzo Nibali--Cycling News

The second and third spot were taken by dueling KOM winners Oscar Pujol and John Ebsen with Cameron Piper, Edmund Bradbury and the famously unretired Phil Gaimon in the final podium spot.

Moreover, cleaning up at the 10th spot was the 40yo. Cadel Evans, the winner of the 2011 Tour de France, which is one of my favorites of recent memory. The retired Aussie, who now serves as a brand ambassador for BMC, was treated to tea with President Tsai Ing-wen.

Taiwan's Peng Yuan-tang finished 17th as Taiwan's top finisher.

The women's race was again headlined by the former British road racing champion, Emma Pooley, who successfully defended her title in a resounding fashion with a gritty 3:52. Pooley led a near British sweep of the women's podium with Hayley Simmonds and Emily Collinge in the second and third steps. Claudia Lichtenberg from Germany held up the fourth position with Brit Helen Jackson and the Japan's 51yo. sensation Yukari Nakagome in the sixth spot.

Aside from the illustrious resumes and glittering palmares held by the top participants, what really stood out about this year's race was parity between the men's and women's categories. While men's sports in general tends to  use guidelines taken from the Old Testament when appraising the value of a woman, the initial 2012 running of the Taiwan KOM saw a naked disparity between the awards in the male and female categories. In recent years the monetary value has increased, but the disparity remained. Until this year the women's winner could take home $USD6600, while he men's winner could claim approximately $USD30,000 in prize money. The 2017 Taiwan KOM set a major precedent in establishing parity in the prize money awarded, setting the amount at $USD16,000 each.

But the KOM is an unusual race. Not only does it seek parity in gender, it also is open to any rider willing to pony up the entrance fee and make the time to race on a Friday. While they have an elite level, like a Grand Fondo, there is nothing to stop Joe and Mary Saturday from making a charge for glory at the finish line at Wuling Pass if they can qualify during the Road to KOM races during the Spring and Summer. If I  had not just come back from three months off the bike, I may have thrown my hat into the ring just to have a semi-factual tale to tell about racing against Cadel Evans, Vincenzo Nibali and Emma Pooley. I wouldn't have been lying.

It has been a real source of pride as a cyclist in Taiwan to watch as we give our gift of Wuling to the world and the world fully accepts it.

There are no caveats about Wuling. It is not a hard ride "for an Asian race". It is a hard ride for any race. And for Taiwanese it adds a dash of validation that we are "world class".

Aside from the topography and participants who really make the KOM, a lot of the credit needs to be handed to the event organizers. They have done a fantastic job in transforming this event and this mountain into something more than Taiwan's local favorite. The Taiwan KOM is gaining the mythic status often reserved for European monuments like the Alpe d' Huez, the Iozard and the Galibier.

Moore than that, to top off the goodness from this year's event. The race organizers were even able to lure GCN, the professional cycling broadcasting outfit to Taiwan to televise Taiwan's KOM. The entire thigh snapping spectacle can be viewed in English HERE.

Yes, this is more than a bike race. This is Taiwan's soft power hard at work. With full televised coverage of the KOM, cyclists around the world can watch the image of Taiwan as a mere production facility dissipate into the thin alpine air to be replaced with enough of a dream to entice one more rider to take the next step in discovering the complexity and beauty of Taiwan. Lets face it, recreation cycling is an industry built of fantasy and Taiwan is just learning how to tap its potential.

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For anyone sick of the KOM coverage, here is a link to another type of ride in Taiwan.
The intrepid Michael Turton from the View from Taiwan has a fantastic piece from Taiwan's East Coast. 

Taiwan KOM: King of the Myeloma Fighters

What a Poster!

Just a couple days after claiming his second crown in, arguably, the world's toughest climb, Team CCN's John Ebsen is organizing a charity ride to support Multiple Myeloma Cancer research on December 7th. 

You can read up on the heroics and heartbreak amid freezing drizzle high along the slopes of Wuling in Lee Rodger's excellent post as well as in VeloNews. 

This race really has the potential to be the Paris-Roubaix for the world's climbers.

Although this was supposed to be my year for the KOM, I will have to wait until next year to get my suffer on. 

Cheers to all those men and women who had the guts to even roll up to the starting line.   

Tempest in a Tea Kettle: Typhoon Day on Wuling

With a tropical storm bordering on typhoon bearing down on Taiwan threatening to flood the weekend with boredom locked inside and nothing to do but eat Oreos (which is what is done on typhoon days) I did the math and figured Saturday would probably be the day to get a ride in.

The typhoon seemed to be behind schedule and wouldn't be arriving until late Saturday and early Sunday. I figured that would probably mean the moisture would be sucked up by the typhoon and we might have clear skies.

I figured I might just have enough time to make a run at the 3275m Wuling Pass-- the very road that utterly destroyed me a few weeks back.

As I eased into my ascent, I was nervous with fresh memories of suffering high up on the foggy ramps high above central Taichung. My pedal stroke felt easy and slick. I was loose... without the pressure of a race.



The mountains clung fast to a wall of clouds that threatened to burst through at any moment and drench the pass with rain.



I moved upward as my shades filled with misty drops of water from a passing cloud. In my mind I had a threshold for physical exhaustion or inclement weather that would preclude an immediate escape.



I passed various landmarks of recent woe buoyed by the notion that I night just make a good day of it.



I climbed higher and higher. Occasionally I would glance at the altimeter to watch my burning legs devour chunks of altitude in satisfying doses.



I was happy to pass other cyclists on my way up with the understanding that my photo stops were merely that-- opportunities to take pictures for this blog.



As I closed on the summit, the great wall at Kunyang towered over the roadway. It is such a marvel of roadway that I had to make more of an effort to photograph it. 

Somewhere near Yuan-feng the air suddenly changed from the usual balmy summer air that has the consistency of over boiled spinach, to a crisp , coolness that shot directly into my lungs. It almost hurt to breathe...in the most satisfying way. No, it actually did hurt to breathe. I could feel my lack of conditioning disturbing. I only hope I can bring my VO2 max back up. That is really the killer of one of these high altitude rides in Taiwan. If you are not getting enough oxygen into the muscles, you are going to suffer. 



Layer over layer over wiggling fold, I capped Kunyang with a clear line of sight toward the summit.



At last my pain had come to an end and I had plenty of energy remaining...suddenly. I snapped my obligatory picture and scared a few tourists along the way as I grumpily lined up my shot while they fiddles with iPad photography. 



Any chance to enjoy Taiwan's mountains is worth the effort.

Wounded Knee Buries My Heart At Wuling Pass

It goes as it goes.

I had been signed up to do this Wuling ride for a couple of months and was not going to pull out of it after all the hard work and preparations Rocky and the folks at T-Mosaic had made for an assault on, quite possibly, the highest road in East Asia.

At 3275m. the Wuling Pass is a natural marvel that seems to hang on a cloud bank over the whole of central Taiwan. As a cycling route, Wuling has cemented its reputation, not only for its scenery, but also for its quad splitting ramps. In Taiwan, Wuling is the standard against which everything is measured. Among Taiwanese cyclists, the single mention of Wuling is guaranteed to bring forth a toothy grin that is part smile, and part pained grimace... in both recognition and remembrance of a suffering that is only cut by a mixer of equal parts success.





Without even the courtesy of a morning cup of coffee to fuel the neurons, we drifted out onto the Highway 14甲 from the Family Mart parking lot on a one way ticket upward.

I have been suffering a little bit from a recurrence of my knee issue, and all the rain hasn't helped in getting me ready for a major climb. Still, I threw caution to the wind and spun gingerly up the road toward Wuling. My one condition for the ride was that I would stop as soon as my knee felt less than perfect.

For climbing, and for this mountain in particular, the best advice is to stay relaxed.





I had been feeling pretty good. Without really trying to, I had put a sizable gap between myself and the small group of riders behind me.

The scenery spilled out below in a wash of light and shadow. It was a picture perfect day on Hohuan Shan, and a great way to break the screaming case of cabin fever that most Taiwanese cyclists have been suffering for the past eight to ten weeks.




Our quarry lay off in the distance, and I was all too well aware of what it would take to get there. The average ascent over the 55km course is only 6%, but there are several ramps that pull up to 12%. The majority of the real nasty parts wait at the very top-- the sting in the tail of an already formidable beast.







I took a few photos and waited for the rest of the group to catch up. I really couldn't believe I was back on that mountain.

Then, just before the great big Ching Jing Disneyland Eatcateria, I felt a light ache in my right knee. At that point I pulled myself off the bike and calmly waited at the 7-11 for my ride. My day in the saddle was over and I would have to enjoy the rest of the day from the air-cnditioned confines of a light bus.

I knew that was a probability and simply sat back to root for the other guys in the group.





Lots of cyclists try Wuling on the weekends, and it is not unusual (cue Tom Jones) to see someone's new take on biking Taiwan's modern day cycling monument. If riding Wuling on a bicycle has been done, then someone wants to try it on a folding bike. Another wants to do it on a fixed gear, and maybe another on a Penny-Farthing.






This brave (or foolish) soul decided to make the climb on a recumbent. My only concern is that it might be dangerous to be so far below the sightline of most drivers. The roads are already narrow enough and drivers routinely misjudge the corners on the Highway 14甲.





By midway through the climb our team started to crumble. Riders pulled up and retreated for the plush comforts of the team bus. A few more riders waved off refreshments and continued toward the top.

On this day I was rooting for one particular rider. I was rooting for my good friend, Dom. Dom had never ridden Wuling before and he has really dedicated himself to his training regimen that has seen him transform into an excellent rider by any measure. This summer will be Dom's swan song in Taiwan as he prepares to head back to the USA. It would have been a shame if a rider like Dom had been denied a go at Wuling before leaving.


The major road hazard of the day may have been the number of mountain bikers along the route.



Several riders made fools of themselves mugging for pictures on one of the more dangerous parts of the roadway.








Before long, my man Dom was chipping away at the mountain from the lead position. We would lurch up and down the roads in our bus delivering refreshments and support to our riders. Each time I would look out of the window to see Dom steadily making headway with his eyes glued to the road ahead.






I couldn't resist the opportunity to shout mock cat calls at him for leading the group from a "heavy", steel frame that could never be stiff or light enough to make time up to 3275m... all with a knowing wink in my inflection.




The grind of the climb was obvious. Each strained turn of the crank rippled through the faces of our riders.





Bikes wobbled and swayed before retreating to a more favorable gear.





The good doctor Wu was clearly suffering as he hauled himself upward.





Despite the cracks, our riders held it together as they disappeared around the bend.





By the Yuen Feng Rest Area the riders are not only forced to contend with a day of gravity defying climbing, but they must also fight for oxygen in the thinning air. At those heights there is 10% less oxygen in the air to fuel tired muscles already screaming out for more.

At this time of year the weather is entirely unpredictable. The glowing morning sunshine can quickly give way to rain showers in the course of an hour.

Far below I could see the distant scenery submerged beneath a thick bank of clouds that was rapidly ebbing toward us.

The possible change in weather painted our morning with a little more urgency as you really don't want to be up on that pass in sloppy conditions.

After a few shaded turns, the trees thin out, giving the final three kilometers a feeling of excitement and danger as you balance on two nickel-sized patches of rotating rubber along the fog line of a razor's edge.






Our bus revved and lurched between Wuling and Kunyang. There were several occasions where we were all thrown forward as the driver had to bury the brake pedal into the floor boards to avoid a collision.




I could see Dom fighting his way around a train of mountain bikers with their full loads, stereo speakers and swaying mirrors that threaten to gore a passing rider like an angry bull elk.


The road creates a ladder of tight hairpins just before the final ascent. It is enough to signal an and to the ordeal, but enough of an obstacle to force riders to call it a day and walk the remaining distance to the top. This is also the section that forces many riders into the red or succumb to the hypoxic effects of thinning air.

When I looked out the window at Dom, he was completely oblivious to our bus as we skimmed past his left ear on the narrowest crimp in the road. He was completely focused on reaching the summit.

As we passed I was just able to take a few quick iPhone images of Dom practically flying up the ramp. It was an awesome sight. He was there... and then gone.








On Wuling, I have either been in the mix or simply there for my own leisure. I have never had the opportunity to take in the spectacle of a single rider's battle to the top. It was an inspiring scene to witness that also put a dent into this competitor's heart. I truly wished I could have been out there on the edge of that cliff with the wind blowing off the rocky walls and into my salted face. I couldn't help but feel a shiver of jealousy in the sight of a rider suffering and dying along an exposed mountain pass. Instead, I was a simple witness viewing Wuling the way most people do; through the dead, dull corners of the picture frame of a car window.  

The final kilometer seems like an eternity. It is always hard to believe you are in Taiwan when looking down from an alpine clearing.





The last few meters of roadway level off into a parking lot at a scenic spot. It offers the rider a chance to look back over the mountains with the assurance that they have just conquered a world class route. The accomplishment of riding from bottom to top is worthy of admiration from anyone. 

Dom led the way, arriving a few minutes ahead of Dr. Wu and a handful of other teammates. For the guys who finished, cursing under their breath, and for those of us who could only watch, it was an amazing day on Hohuan Shan. 






Just as we were about to depart, I noticed a woman in 80's running shorts weaving her Specialized bike up the other side. She fought and twisted that bicycle up the final ramp to the top... all with a knowing smile on her face. 

Our eyes met as I took a picture as I cheerfully quipped, "I totally understand." 

Congratulations to all of our guys who made it to the top. I promise to lead the way next time. This rabbit ain't finished with Wuling. 

The Road To Heaven and Hell: 2011 Neverstop Wuling Challenge (武嶺活動)

The Goal

For the past six weeks I have been quietly training for the Neverstop Wuling Challenge in an effort to get myself back into shape following four months of down time with injuries. It is always much easier to get out of shape that it is to get back into shape.

I chose the Wuling Challenge mainly because it is regarded as one of Taiwan's most difficult races... and moreover... it is an established race that didn't seem to be working for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) election committee in forwarding their cultural engineering project of colonizing Taiwan in the name of the fatherland through the use of the sickening "ROC 100" banner. I later found traces of this, but it was far from one of the themes of the race.

The Wuling Challenge is an open event that covers 2826 merters (9272ft.) over the course of about 50km (31miles). The event is open to any type of bicycle and simply requires a NT$6000 entry fee.

The race is a great opportunity to win bragging rights for the elite cyclists, and it also gives everyone else a chance to commiserate with fellow riders over the degree of physical pain and difficulty one must overcome to reach the peak of Taiwan's highest pass.

For me, the event was merely about going through the experience of participating in this legendary event with the hope of making it to the top. I must declare that I had my doubts.

Locked And Loaded

As I went to bed Saturday night I my mind was a black hole of doubt. While I was training I had inflamed the old injury that had kept me down for so long and I was well aware of how serious and persistent it could be. It might feel fine, but then 10 minutes in the saddle and the pain flares up with each mechanical pedal stroke... and then lingers for a nightcap. I was imagining a scenario where I carry the pain from just outside the starting gate and refuse to even take it to Wushe at the top of the first climb.

We had done some preliminary training the weekend before and I was both wrecked from a grueling day of climbing and feeling the knee pain. I really had nothing but concern on my mind and I was resigned to the possibility of resignation. My plan was simple-- "Take it easy and see how it goes."

Some teams rented the bike bus

I woke up at 2:00am to catch the bus T-Mosaic had hired to take the team to Puli. Despite my other physical ailments, my hydration and nutrition plans were on track, so I was feeling more confident that I wouldn't bonk or cramp up.

By the time we arrived in Puli, the whole town was crawling with cyclists and every shade of lycra imaginable as riders sat around convenience stores eating, laughing off the pre-race jitters, or slamming coffees to stimulate one last pre race poo (I can't believe I just wrote that...yuck!).

Bleary-eyed In Black

The members of the T-Mosaic squad I was riding with ambled over to the starting gate and tried to carefully wade into the river of carbon fiber and lycra that stretched into the morning blackness.

Sea of Lycra

I am not sure exactly when we got moving, but it was a staggered start as they metered out groups of riders to avoid dangerous congestion on the roadways.

Starting Gate

Easy Rollin'

As I eased through the starting gate I was fully aware that the chip inside my sticker had triggered the timer that would be calculating my progress up the mountain. For a moment I wanted to stomp on the pedals and leapfrog the slow moving riders easing along the 3% grade below Wushe. I wanted to... but I did not. I stuck with my plan to relax and just enjoy the ride. I was there to enjoy the event and have fun. I wasn't going to be first, or even in the top ten, so I thought I should just work on finishing the race without re-injuring my knee to the point of sitting on my ass for another four months.

And then it happened. A sort of sanguine smile spread across my face and I just enjoyed taking in the entire spectacle of the event.

The First Test

I wish I could say that everyone was as relaxed and content in their progress, but one guy, who had obviously seen too many Tour de France tantrums, actually hurled his malfunctioning mountain bike to the side of the road and started kicking at it.

See you at Wuling!

I made an easy pace along the base of the mountain in the hopes of warming up for the climbs. As I passed riders I was just enjoying looking at their bikes and I would occasionally make casual conversation with some of the riders from teams I recognized. I chatted up the guys from Primavera and Team Neko. I also took some time to chat with a fellow Seven owner and the owner of a beautiful titanium Crown Jewel from Independent Fabrications.

All Ages Show

It was really just a thrill to take in the scene with all those riders, regardless of ability, taking the day to attempt the impossible. Each rider was hoping to do their best and conquer a mountain.

Feeling Good

I was riding feeling very relaxed and found myself in Wushe with very little effort and just continued trying to document the race and mingle.

Double The Fun

Cresting Wushe

Passing Mountain Bikers

Rather than being a testosterone filled event with racers trying to intimidate each other and look "Pro", I was happy to see men and women of all ages making a day of it and using the event as an excuse to ride. Although I didn't get a picture of her, I remember passing several women in their 60's up beyond Wushe. It is just very inspiring and reassuring to see people take life by the gills.

Chicks Dig It!

As we pressed on up the hill I was amazed that I was not in worse shape. My knee was feeling a little "tight", but dull enough to imagine there was no sensation there at all.

Pressing On

The low clouds hanging in the valley below seemed to take my mind away from my knee problems and I just kept a steady pace upward.

Into The Light

On occasion I'd get caught in a "slow net", where you catch up with a group of riders and can't pass... then you find yourself going their pace instead of the one that had allowed you to catch them. It is easy to slip into this malaise, so you need to be on your toes and shake it off if you want to better your time.

Chinese Tourists Say Hello

For the most part the traffic an the ascent was relatively light. There were a few incidents of cars or busses making things a bit difficult, but nothing too unexpected.

Mountain Biking

We all just hugged the shoulder and tried to avoid thinking about our legs.

Burn Baby Burn

Superman!

Passing A Rest Stop

A Hunk-a-hunk-a Burnin' Legs

Somewhere just below Ching-jing Farm my knee started to hurt and I had to stop and stretch. I popped a couple ibuprofen and a hand-full of skittles before setting off again.

Keep Keeping On

The pain disappeared and I was pushing smooth, easy strokes along the lower ridges of Ho Huan Shan through sparkling farming towns and the Ching-jing Disneyplexfoodextravaganza.

The Halfway Point

I made a quick refill and was off again. I was just having so much fun, I lost track of time. I had no idea when I started or how much time had elapsed. I had my Garmin, but forgot to really look at anything but distance and gradient.

Where's Jens Voigt when you need him

First Casualty 18km (Yes, he is lying in the road)

It was just after Ching-jing Farm that the first real casualties started showing up. Riders walking their bikes along the roadway started to become a more common sight.

Look Out Below

There were also several riders taking prolonged breaks and, even more dangerous, the weavers.

Another One Bite The Dust!

As many of the field started to tire and lose their legs, they would start swerving and weaving in an attempt to mitigate some of the gradient. I can't tell how many times a rider couldn't keep a line and came close to swerving into me or crossing wheels. At one point I had a rider lose his balance and lean his head on my shoulder as I passed on the left. That stuff is DANGER with a capital WILL ROBINSON.

Reeling In The Breakaway?

Getting High-er

Alpine Forests

Soon we started to edge into the alpine zone of the mountain where the amount of oxygen in the air drops below sustainable levels. It was at this point fitness really became apparent.

Nearing The End

Water For Cash

Along the upper reaches of the route, riders had support teams lining the roads handing out water and food to passing riders. Some riders stopped to refuel, others just snatched a drink and kept on riding.

Whoops!

There were also a few accidents on the way down. Apparently, two were serious enough to require a medical evacuation. I witnessed one crash in which a rider failed to negotiate a corner and lost his grip. Sometimes these high performance race bikes can quickly get away from a rider if he is not paying attention.

Still shootin' straight with 7km to go

My knee started hurting again right before the last stretch below Kunyang, so I finished my skittles, gave it a stretch, and the soreness was gone. I still had plenty of gas left in the tank and I was feeling totally relaxed.

Stairway To Heaven?

Maybe I was feeling too relaxed and mistook Kunyang for Wuling and turned on the gas... only to take the last corner before the nasty climb to the finish with legs demanding time to recover.

The Last Kilometer

As I tried to push on to the final kilometers before the finish line, we all came to a halt behind a van that was stuck passing another car. After maybe 5 min. we all got going again, but it was a momentum killer for sure.

Those Poor Bastards

With just a few hundred meters to go, I got out of the saddle and put it all in for the finish. The sun was glistening on the grassy hillsides and puffy white clouds filled the air. I had actually made it.

If You Show Me Yours I'll Show You Mine

I was even more amused that I had made the climb in only 4 hours and 14 minutes. If I had been really fighting for time I might have been a bit disappointed, but for my circumstances I was thrilled. I still had plenty of energy left and I had made it while pushing a standard 53/39 to 12-27 gear combination while just having a good time of it all.

But I'm Dressed Faster Than This!

I stayed at the top long enough to take a few pictures and chat with a couple guys about the ride, but I sensed I shouldn't linger and headed back down to the support car.

The Other Side

Enjoying The Sights

The Road To Hell

Traffic Jams

As I started down the mountain, I noticed a parade of bike walkers and then the beginnings of a traffic jam. It would take me 40 min. just to get down to Yuen Feng.

Cash For A Podium Girl

We all celebrated our finishes. Cash Huang from T-Mosaic finished in about 03:45 and was happy for it to be over.

Don't Worry... It's Chocolate Inside.

Play by Play With Rocky from T-Mosaic

We waited for the rest of the guys to finish and join us for some soup and refreshments.

Silly ROC 100 Bullshit

I even had some time to check out my hardware; a massive copper-colored medal with Taiwan firmly situated in the center... with a confusing 100 made of chain links, a cog and a wheel to add that awful ROC 100 bullshit insisted upon by the sponsors in Taipei.

Kenda Arrives

Kenda arrived on his LeMond Alpe d' Huez... just before his personal cut-off time, in which he promised to cut off his hair if he failed to summit within a certain time.

Parade Of The Weary

We all sat and ate, and watched a parade of carbon fiber march past single file in a portrait illustrating the fact that no amount of money spent on technology can be a substitute for fitness, preparation and training.

Mr. Wang Takes The Hill

Our last man on the squad was Mr. Wang, who may be older and heavier than a lot of the field, but he still managed to keep pedaling his way up to the top despite missing the cut-off time. He was determined to summit.

Beaten

Some riders had completely exhausted themselves and threw in the towel at Yuan Feng.

The Kid Pushes To The Top

Many riders had invested too much energy and heart into the day and were not going to stop until they could see no more mountain above them. They courageously looked beyond us to the point on the horizon where the road dips over the mountain.

Will Survives And Wins Three Small Children

Will V. finally came rolling into base camp with a totally different tale from the mountain.

According to Will, the road had become jammed with cars and cyclists as traffic control broke down and summer holiday makers forced their way onto the narrow roadway. Riders were stuck for as long as 40 minutes before clearing the congestion. Some riders waited patiently for traffic to clear, others took off their shoes and hiked over road and dirt cyclocross style to get around the jam. The upper reaches of the mountain descended into a sort of traffic anarchy. And then the clouds moved in and it started to rain.

The trouble with traffic control was the result of Neverstop being pushed to hold the event in the summer time to better coincide with the silly ROC 100 crap that some politicians hoped to capitalize on and therefore there were far more cars on the road than Neverstop had anticipated. Furthermore, traffic enforcement stopped at 10:00am, leaving the remainder of the day a free-for-all.

The winner of the event was Lin Huan-ze, who finished 02:34:50. Lin is a medical student at Taipei Medical University and this is his fourth time winning the Wuling Challenge. Me... I was just out enjoying myself.

I think with 6300 participants this event is at risk of losing much of what makes it so great. Maybe organizers should consider chopping it up into different days with a series of qualifiers to gain eligibility for the elite competitive race, and then schedule the open amateur event for the following day or following weekend.

Tis race is great for Taiwan's best riders to test their mettle, and it is great for weekend warriors to challenge themselves... but putting that many people on Hohuan Shan is becoming more than the mountain can handle.

It took us four hours to get off the mountain with all the traffic. Although I had finished before 10:00am, I didn't get home until 7:00pm.

Would I do it again? Hell yeah!