Trouble in Paradise: Tour of Taiwan's Future In Doubt

Last week a report appeared in the Liberty Times questioning the future of the Tour of(de) Taiwan, Taiwan's premiere UCI sanctioned stage race. 

The entire report is posted below:

〔自由時報記者葉士弘／台北報導〕2013年環台賽昨天畫下句點，卻傳出自由車協會有意吹熄燈號，明年可能停辦環台賽。副秘書長王美香表示，比賽自去年升級為2.1級後，各方面要求都明顯提高，尤其國際轉播需要大筆經費，來自經濟部的贊助卻可能在明年取消，續辦將遭遇極大困難。 

環台賽因寶島地形特殊，總能吸引世界各地車隊參賽，卻不是一路順遂，也曾在2001年因經費募集困難停辦一次。去年升級為國際車總2.1級賽事後，大幅增加的國際轉播費用，車協依靠來自經濟部的經費挹注，但今年贊助只剩三分之一，明年甚至可能取消。王美香說：「降級太難看，如果找不到錢，可能會停辦。」停辦環台賽，引來車界不同看法，申騰美利達領隊邱朝雄說：「每年就一場比賽，這是最能代表台灣的比賽，停辦可能讓車隊找不到贊助商。」 

南寶樹脂NOVATEC車隊教練郭文進則強調，當初升級就太倉促，環台賽都是國外車隊曝光，與國內車隊有距離。 

Liberty Times/ Reporter Yeh Shin Hong 

2013 Tour de Taiwan ended yesterday. However, it’s rumored that the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association is planning to suspend its role as host for the Tour de Taiwan next year. The TCA deputy secretary, Wang Mei Sian (王美香),  stated that the requirements for hosting games have been raised ever since the race was promoted to class 2.1. In particular, international broadcasting rights are quite expensive. However, the subsidies from the Department of Economic Affairs might be suspended, making it difficult to continue hosting the event next year.  

The Tour de Taiwan is famous for its special geographic landscape, always attracting teams from all over the world to participate. However, things are going as well within the Tour de Taiwan. In 2001, Tour de Taiwan was not held for a year due to the lack of sponsorship and financial difficulties. Beginning last year, the Tour de Taiwan was promoted to class 2.1. The increase expense in international broadcasting has been relying on the support of Department of Economic Affairs. However, the amount of money from the Department of Economic Affairs that went to the event was slashed to one-third of what it used to be.  

What’s even worse is that the Department of Economic Affairs may be planning not to allocate funds for the race next year. “ Instead of being demoted in class, it’s possible the race will be postponed for a year if not enough financial aid is provided.  

When asked about the possibility of postposing Tour de Taiwan, various comments have appeared. The manager of Team Senter-Merida Taiwan said that “This is a yearly event, which best represents Taiwan. Postponing the race may put teams in danger of not able to find sponsors.” 

On the other hand, the coach of Nanpao-Novatec Cycling Team emphasized that the promotion to class 2.1 was too rushed. It turns out that most teams participating in Tour de Taiwan are foreign, while local teams are not provided with enough opportunities.

My first reaction is to assume the issue will come to naught. My guess is that this is part of a play by the sponsors to pressure the government and taxpayers into picking up a greater percentage of the tab. 

The chief beneficiaries of the Tour of Taiwan, besides the chiefs in the UCI, are the large bike companies that routinely use bike festivals and events as a sales tool for generating greater streams of domestic revenue. 

Although there is another part of me that feels the influence of the sponsors in route planning really hurts the Tour of Taiwan's ability to market itself for broadcasting. 

I mean, who really wants to tune in to watch the peloton cut through polluted and industrial Dajia for the simple reason of swinging past the Giant factory to pad the company's ego? It may play into the whole "King and kingdom" motif they have built up around Giant and King Liu by having riders pass the headquarters and pay homage, but it does not make for very compelling racing or marketable television for the amateur cyclist. 

The race has been in existence since 1978, and recognized by the UCI since 2005. It may be high time to step up and focus on repositioning the race on the race calendar as either an early season stage race to condition climbers and other specialists for the grand tours, or position the race as a season ending option for a few riders who failed to live up to their hype and earn a few more points before the World Championships. 

Moreover, organizers are going to have to resist those tempting industrial wasteland loops in favor of parcours through Taiwan's more challenging interior. Taiwan has the terrain to become a bright spot on the cycling map, but the Tour de Taiwan lacks the confluence of timing, geography, weather, and willpower.  

For starters, the organizers can replace "de" with "of". 

Related: 

Lee Rodgers has a nice article in Pez Cycling about the Tour de Taiwan.

Fixing the Tour de Taiwan: How To Make A World Class Event

Taiwan Cycle is back and that can only mean another Tour de Taiwan is upon us. David Reid has done us all a big favor by posting an English translation of each stage. Moreover, Michael Turton pretty much sums up the sentiments of everyone in Taiwan with a passing interest in cycling when he recently wrote:

This route is ridiculous in the extreme, as if someone deliberately set out to avoid all the pretty parts of the island and instead sought to send the cyclists through all the flat, polluted, crowded, dull parts of the island.

I couldn't agree more. Taiwan has some world class routes, but the Tour de Taiwan seems to never explore them. It is always a disappointment when the route is revealed and it is a bunch of boring crap that simply reinforces dumb ideas about Taiwan.

The Tour de Taiwan (Why the French "de"?) faces a lot of challenges. Promoters and their political cronies need to look out for their own interests and often steer these events into their pockets. After all, The Tour de France and Giro d'Italia were simply ways of bringing tourists to ski resorts in the off season.

But the Tour de Taiwan also suffers from bad timing.

The international race calendar starts in March with smaller, warm-up races, before the day races of the Ardenne and the Spring Classics with Flanders and Roubaix closing out the day races before the fireworks of the Giro d'Italia and finally capping the season with the Tour de France. Of course, the UCI World Championships and the Vuelta de Espana officially close the season in September. There are some small stage races in the United States that are attracting some top talent in the lead up to the Grand Tours, but these are still just high profile training races that offer sponsors greater exposure in a larger market.

In Taiwan we all know that between July and October the weather is unpredictable. Typhoons can wreck havoc an the best laid plans. The weather usually dries out between April and the first week of June, but by then all the top talent is concentrated on Europe. This leaves November to January as the nicest time to hold a cycling event, but that is considered the off season when riders rest their weary legs and try to recover for another grueling season. Moreover, Taiwan's highest passes are often still covered with slush or ice between December and April.

As it stands, the Tour of Taiwan is a preparation race on the lower end of UCI priorities. It is considered to be way off on the other side of the world from where the action happens and is best left for training in the off season.

Like many people, I feel Taiwan deserves to shine a little brighter in the lore of competitive cycling.

That is why I have designed my own Tour de Taiwan. If I were the race director and I could hold this race under optimal conditions, this is how it might look.

Stage 1: Team Time Trial

The first stage is a TTT from the opening ceremonies in the city center, out to the Highway 2, which hugs Taiwan's scenic North Coast. The route is short and relatively flat for high speeds. The route ends in Jinshan for a short hop over Yangming Shan back to Taipei.

By opening with a TTT, the riders could warm up for the coming stages without risking too much for the GC.

Crowds could form along the route at many locations to cheer for the teams and attract visitors to Danshui and other locations along the coast. Jiufen and Jinguashi are also close by.

Bike route 1432802 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 2: Miaoli Foothills

Stage 2 opens the race up with a little more distance over rolling hills and punchy climbs between the Highway 3 and the Highway 13. This route offers views of the Mingde and Longtan Reservoirs, as well as the rolling Sanyi hills.

The roads are wide and well paved. The mixed topography gives riders an excellent opportunity for a break away that could shake things up. There may be room in there on the Highway 13 for some sprint points.

Miaoli could attract visitors to both Mingde and Sanyi. Taichung could highlight Dongshih.

Bike route 1432804 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 3: Taichung and Central Taiwan

The third stage starts to shake up the riders before the Queen Stage.

It starts in Taichung City at the Municipal Office (Politicians need to wring something out of this) and heads up out of the city through Dakeng and up the Route 129. Stage 3 connects to the Highway 21 over Baimao Shan to Puli and then to Sun Moon Lake and out to Shuili. I would recommend the Route 63 out of Sun Moon Lake, but with so many riders in a competitive ride, it might be too dangerous.

This route contains lots of good climbing and technical descents. Riders can make time on both. There may be both opportunities for sprinting and climbing points to be awarded.

Local governments can use this route to draw crowds to Hsinshe, Puli, Sun Moon Lake and Shuili.

Bike route 1432806 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 4: Wuling Pass (The Queen Stage)

After a rest day, riders launch out of Puli to conquer Wuling at 3275m. The challenge is world class and offers some of the most spectacular views comparable to the Alps or the Pyrenees.

The climb to the top only precludes a dash over Taiping Shan to Yilan and the East Coast.

This stage might break the race open. It is long and tough. Several locations for climbing points.

Crowds could cheer along the route and visit Chingjing scenic areas.

Bike route 1432808 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 5: Hualien to Taidong

After a grueling Stage 4, riders can regroup and recover on the long, flat stretch of roadway between eastern Taiwan's two largest cities.

There is only one climb of any measure in which a brave rider might try to put some time into a rival. A day for the sprinters and TT technicians.

Both Hualien and Taidong governments could attract visitors for the race.

Bike route 1432811 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 6: Hengchun Peninsula

The Hengchun Peninsula is an ideal transition from a recovery day. Riders are faced with a few short climbs and soaring flats through the Manzhou Valley before cruising to a finish at the beaches in Kenting and another rest day. The roads are in pretty good shape with a few sections that may be a little rough, but no worse that some of the hardpack featured in the Giro d' Italia. Ths route might have sprinting points and one spot for climbing points to be awarded.

Kenting would surely find some favorable press. The local governments could also draw visitors to Manzhou's picturesque beauty.

Bike route 1432813 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 7: Alishan

To separate the men from the boys, a stage from Chiayi over Alishan and back might be just enough to determine a winner in a close race. This is a chance to crown the KOM.

Alishan is already on the tourist maps, but the 159甲 is a wonderful road to discover. It may be a little narrow, so traffic control would be a must.

Riders would then head back into Chiayi past the reservoir with a finish in the city.

Bike route 1432815 - powered by Bikemap

Stage 8: Tainan-Kaohsiung ITT

An Individual Time Trial between Tainan and Kaohsiung might be a real bonus. This allows riders to finish in Taiwan's southern metropolis and giving equal weight to Taiwan's northern and southern cities.

Here, some of the sprinters could make up some time against the climbers. If the race is close, the GC can be settled here.

Bike route 1432817 - powered by Bikemap