4 UCI Pro teams and 20 UCI Professional Continental Teams set to participate in the Tour de Taiwan 2023
With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the Tour de Taiwan, which was only held in October last year, this year returns to spring on the Asian Tour and will took March 12-16, 2023. 197 elite cyclists from 31 countries in 24 teams again compete in Taiwan. At the request of teams that could not travel to Taiwan last year, this year an additional four UCI Pro teams have been invited. As well as the Taiwan team , there will also be 19 other UCI Professional Continental Teams competing. With the intensity of competition increased significantly, a splendid cycling feast can be anticipated.
From 2017, the Tour de Taiwan has been livestreamed online and drones used to capture the race situation and Taiwan scenery, driving an increase in cycling race spectating and marketing Taiwan; the event is also shown in 20 languages in more than 50 countries on Eurosport, reaching 200 million people and raising the event’s profile significantly.
The five stages of the event this year are Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Romantic Route 3, Nantou County and Kaohsiung City, with total length of 670.3 kilometers. Stage 1 involves three laps of Taipei City; stage 2 is Taoyuan City, the stage praised by international judges as having Tour de France class traffic control; Stage 3, Romantic Route 3, crosses Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Taichung City and is regarded as the most challenging stage; Stage 4 is Nantou County; making a return this year, it is the longest stage, with the end at Sun Moon Lake Visitor Center; Stage 5 will depart from religious landmark Fo Gang Shan Buddha Museum, the route combining sport, tourism and culture to make the event more diverse.
Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-chung said, “The Tour de Taiwan is an iconic international sports event held in March annually. It was also the only international competition in Taiwan to be continually held, with 2011 the only year it was not held since it was established; this shows the love and affirmation of riders from around the world for the Tour de Taiwan. It is a must-choice event for international riders that also displays the support of the city and county governments as well as related agencies that organize the five stages and the importance they attach to it.”
The Sports Administration said, ”The event this year will be shown live on the Era YouTube platform, with highlights shown on Eurosport. Cycling fans who cannot be present along the route can watch on these channels and cheer on the local and international riders. For more information, go to the Tour de Taiwan 2023 official website (www.tourdetaiwan.org.tw)”