Cycling events in March
March will be an exciting month for anyone interested in bikes and cycling in Taiwan. The Tour de Taiwan runs from 9-16 March. Taipei Cycle 2008 takes place at the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall from 13-16 March.
The 2008 Tour de Taiwan starts in Kaohsiung on 9 March. The race will cover 832 kilometres in eight stages. The final stage on 16 March will be a criterium around Taipei City Hall. The tour is part of the UCI Asia Tour and 22 teams from 15 countries will compete in the race. Stage by stage the race will go as follows:
- Stage 1: 9 March (Sun) Kaohsiung City
- Stage 2: 10 March (Mon) Pingdong County
- Stage 3: 11 March (Tue) Zhanghua County
- Stage 4: 12 March (Wed) Taizhong City
- Stage 5: 13 March (Thu) Xinzhu City
- Stage 6: 14 March (Fri) Taipei County
- Stage 7: 15 March (Sat) Taipei City (Nangang)
- Stage 8: 16 March (Sun) Taipei City (Taipei City Hall)
Descriptions of the stages (in Chinese) are available on the Tour de Taiwan website. The stages in Kaohsiung, Pingdong, Taizhong, Xinzhu, Nangang and Taipei will all be held on street circuits allowing spectators to get close to the action. Stage 6 in Taipei County will start and finish at the Taipei County Government building in Banqiao. Riders will race over an out and back circuit to Cape Bitou via Danshui.
Taipei Cycle 2008 will be held at the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Centre from 13-16 March. The event marks the opening of the new exhibition centre which has 1.7 times more floor space than the Taipei World Trade Centre. Unfortunately the MRT lines that will connect to the Nangang Exhibition Centre are not yet complete. The best way to get there will be to travel on the MRT to Kunyang Station and take a bus or taxi from there. The bike show is also being held in conjuction with the Taiwan International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO). TaiSPO will be held at the TWTC in the Xinyi District of Taipei.
And finally, if you prefer riding bikes rather than just looking at them, don't forget Bike Smiling (微笑單車上路). It's on Sunday 30 March at 3:00pm in Taipei. Meet at the main gate of NTU (on the corner of Roosevelt and Xinsheng Roads).
Yellow jerseys and yellow dresses
Tour de Taiwan at Nangang
Bikes on show in Taipei
Bikes galore at Taipei Cycle
Tour de Taiwan 2007
Posted: March 5th, 2008 under Cycling, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Tags: bike smiling, exhibition, taipei cycle, tour de taiwan
Comments
Comment from yueling
Time 17 August 2008 at 11:30 am
Dear David:
I have read your articles on cycling. You suggested the government to reduce cars on the road. but how, can you further explain. I am writing a story about cycling and seeking for your suggestions
Comment from David Reid
Time 17 August 2008 at 1:51 pm
yueling, there are a number of things that can be done both directly and indirectly. One is infrastructure and shifting away from car-oriented planning toward building cities that maximise convenience for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport rather than cars. Another is taxes and charges such as increasing taxes on vehicle registration and fuel or toll roads and parking fees. On the positive side education is also important. People need to better understand the costs and benefits of different forms of transport.
I could go into a lot more details about various things, but you might want to look at something like Paris’s Vélib system or cycling in The Netherlands for some good examples of what is possible.
Comment from cfimages
Time 7 March 2008 at 9:06 am
I’m really excited about all these events. This will be the first year I’ve actually known about the race in time – previous years I always found out about it too late. The Zhanghua stage will have a great backdrop to the start/finish line – and it’s only 5 minutes walk from my place.