Taiwan has been recognised as a racing bike producer for years. However, it is only in recent years that the island off the Chinese mainland has been trying to establish itself as a cycling country. Several thousand starters are not uncommon in everyman races. However, only the best amateur cyclists in the country are allowed to take part in the country's toughest race, the Taiwan KOM Challenge. A starting place is extremely coveted and only those who qualify in other races are allowed to take part in this demanding race.
The starting arch is located not far from Hualian, right by the sea. After a short recovery section along the coast, you turn into the Taroko Gorge and have a single, never-ending climb ahead of you. The Stelvio Pass has 1,540 metres of ascent in one go from Bormio - on Mt Hehuan it is more than twice as much. But that's not all: on the last few kilometres, the gradient is in double figures for a long time and at the top, the road is up to 27 percent steep.
The fact that many Taiwanese still manage to conquer this ramp in the tight time window shows the newly grown enthusiasm for cycling. You can read about what TOUR observed at the Taiwan KOM Challenge steep face race in TOUR 03/2014. here convenient ordering.
You will find a picture gallery with photos from a stage trip around Taiwan here.
