Typhoon Megi cancels Taiwan’s first ever professional road bike race.
After spending millions to prepare and promote the Taiwan Cup cycling race, organizers canceled this weekend’s races after storms spun off from Typhoon Megi closed roads and rail to Hualien, where the race was to take place.
The typhoon hit the Philippines and is roaring towards mainland China after skirting south of Taiwan earlier this week. Torrential rains and storm surges washed out coastal highways where the race was to take place along the rugged Pacific coast of Hualien County in Eastern Taiwan. Race officials decided to cancel the entire event after determining the roads were too dangerous to race on.
A part of Team Rabobank, sponsored by Giant, flew into Taipei earlier this week to participate in the race. “This is very sad for the organizers,” said team manager Erik Dekker. “They’ve really done everything here. It was very well organized.” Dekker says they were invited back for 2011 and plan to return for another try.
Other teams in the Elite race would have included amateur teams from throughout Europe and Asia, as well as UCI Continental Asia Tour teams. Some of them made it to Hualien before the roads closed, while others bunkered up in their hotels elsewhere around the island.
Instead of racing along the coast, many of these pros and amateurs will mingle with bike bloggers at the Sun Moon Lake resort, where they’ll do a few parade laps around breathtaking scenery like this.
The Primavera Cycling Team also invited visitors to ride with them in Taichung County this weekend.