DEEP TALENT POOL:
Japanese bicycle race organizers praised Taiwan’s wide and deep pool of young cyclists and corporate support for growing racers and events
By Jason Pan
/ Contributing Writer
Taiwanese cyclist Hsu Shih-ru won the points race in the 96 Cycling Series in Taipei yesterday as city officials signed a partnership agreement with a Japanese delegation from the Tour de Okinawa.
Professional and amateur cyclists whipped through the roads around Tianmu Sports Park and Tianmu Baseball Stadium yesterday morning as part of pre-summer leg of Taiwan’s “96 Cycling Series.”
About 450 people, the largest showing ever for this event, entered the race, including Taiwanese racers Du Chih-hao and Fong Chun-kai, who are members of Japan’s pro cycling team “Astemo Utsunomiya Blitzen,” and other pro and amateur cyclists, event organizers said.
Photo courtesy of 96 Cycling Series
For the men’s elite and U23 divisions, cyclists had to complete 17 laps, each slightly more than 2.4km, covering 41km, while the women’s elite and men’s youth divisions raced 10 laps to cover about 24km.
The event was organized by the Taipei City Government, Taiwan’s national cycling association, and the sporting goods brand 96 Sporter, who sponsor the 96 Cycling Series.
Hsu, a 22-year-old senior student at National University of Sport in Taichung and competitor for Action Cycling Team of Taichung, won with a time 52:18, edging out second-place finisher Astemo’s Du in a neck-and-neck sprint through the final lap.
Photo courtesy of 96 Cycling Series
Huang Ting-ying of Team Fulcome won the women’s elite division with a time of 37:06.
“It was a strong contingent today, and everyone pushed for very competitive fast times in the leading pack. In the final laps, it was only down to Du and me… I had confidence in my dash at the end.” Hsu said when speaking to reporters during the awards ceremony, adding: “It was a very close finish.”
The Taipei City Government and the “96 Cycling Series” event organizers this year signed a partnership agreement with Satoshi Toyama, organizing committee chairman of the Tour de Okinawa, who led a delegation of Japanese officials and cyclists to participate at the Tianmu race.
Photo courtesy of 96 Cycling Series
“Our islands of Okinawa are close neighbors of Taiwan, and we have good relations, like siblings in a family. The strong field and vigorous racing of this Taiwan’s 96 Cycling Series are very impressive for us to see,” Toyama said in his address, through an interpreter.
“We will enter into full cooperation, for cyclists and teams from both sides, to collaborate in organizing racing events, and also for sports and cultural tourism between Okinawa and Taiwan,” he added.
Toyama and other Okinawa officials said they were amazed at the breadth and depth of Taiwan’s younger competitors, saying that high schools in Okinawa only had 46 students registered as competitive cyclists, while Taiwan’s U17 and U15 students are well-represented.
The young Taiwenese racers turned in solid results for their age groups, he said, praising Taiwan’s bicycle manufacturing industry for promoting and supporting these events and helping to cultivate Taiwanese cycling competitors at the grassroots level.
Hsu and other competitors with top finishes earned points to help determine selection by the Taiwan national cycling body to represent Taiwan at international competitions such as the Asian Games in Aichi, Japan, later this year.