2016 Taiwan KOM Challenge

Starting around 2007 there was a huge shift in public attitudes to cycling. Living in Taiwan back in the 1990s, I was often asked: ‘Why do you ride a bike when you can afford a motorcycle?’ However, I was never seriously tempted by the nimble Vespa-type scooters which dominate the roads. They’re very convenient, but not good for the environment.

Around a decade ago, Taiwanese began to rediscover their love of cycling. This trend was both anticipated and bolstered by a hit local movie called Island Etude. The main character is a young man who spends a week exploring Taiwan by bike, along the way immersing himself in the island’s natural beauty and rich traditional culture. Since then, getting around by pedal-power has been in vogue for reasons I outlined a few months ago.

Andrew Kerslake, an American cyclist and long-term resident of Taiwan once told me: 'Taiwan's value for cycling comes from its unique location and topography. In a relatively short distance a rider can skim along the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, soar above alpine peaks, pass between the urban and the rural, disappear into the shadows of the jungle or lazily soft pedal along a meandering cycling trail. Taiwan surely has the potential to become the Tuscany, Flanders or Pyrenees of Asia.'

Andrew’s blog is an excellent resource for anyone planning serious riding in Taiwan.

Realizing Taiwan’s suitability for bike touring, the authorities have developed an annual Taiwan Cycling Festival. Many of the festival’s featured events are aimed at leisure riders who’d rather enjoy a slow circuit of Sun Moon Lake than give themselves a real workout. That said, the most exciting component of the festival, for spectators as well as the small number of people allowed to participate, is undoubtedly the Taiwan KOM Challenge.
Unlike ‘king of the mountains’ titles awarded to hill-hopping cyclists in long-distance races such as the Tour de France, the Taiwan KOM Challenge is a stand-alone race. Competitors start within sight of the Pacific Ocean near Hualien City, proceed through Taroko Gorge, then tackle the uplands of Taroko National Park. For photos of the route, see this page on Andrew's blog. 

The 2016 KOM Challenge is scheduled for October 28. No more than 600 riders will be allowed to sign up, with half of those spots reserved for cyclists based outside Taiwan. First prize is NT$1,000,000.

After taking part in the 2014 KOM Challenge, British rider Dave Everett wrote on the Cycling Tips website (where the photo above comes from) that the race, ‘could easily be classed as the unofficial world championships of mountain climbing. The Taiwan KOM Challenge is exactly what the name suggests: a challenge. It’s held on 105km of spectacular roads that rise from the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to a quite literally breathtaking 3,275m mountain summit.’

It was Everett’s first visit to Taiwan and he was deeply impressed: ‘[This] small island has climbs that can best any in Europe. In fact, Taiwan would have to be one of the best locations I’ve have the pleasure of turning the pedals over in.’

Others have also gushed about the route. According to the Taiwan KOM Challenge website, the gradient never exceeds 2% for the first 20km. For much of the route it's around 6%, but in 'the final 9.5kms, and then the real challenge begins. Riders will traverse gradients from 10-22%.'

Of course, there's nothing to stop anyone tackling this route any day of the year. It's also possible to break it up over more than one day; there are places to stay in Tianxiang (天祥) and it's sometimes possible to arrange accommodation at Dayuling (大禹嶺).