Taiwan KOM Challenge
John Ebsen in the 2020 edition, which he won | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | October/November |
| Region | Taiwan (Qixingtan Beach -> Wuling) |
| Local name(s) | 臺灣自行車登山王挑戰 (in Chinese) |
| Discipline | Road |
| Type | One-day race |
| Organiser | Taiwan Cycling Federation |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 2012 |
| Editions | 12 (as of 2023) |
| First winner | John Ebsen (DEN) |
| Most wins | John Ebsen (DEN) (5 wins) |
| Most recent | Ben Dyball (AUS) |
| History (women) | |
| First winner | Eri Yonamine (JPN) |
| Most wins |
|
| Most recent | Shoko Kashiki (JPN) |
The Taiwan KOM Challenge is a one-day road cycling race held annually in Taiwan. Created in 2012, the event is recognized as one of the most difficult cycling races in the world due having nearly 3500m of climbing over a 105 kilometer course.[1] Vincenzo Nibali, the 2017 winner, holds the record for the fastest time, with a time of 3:19:54.[2]
Route
The route starts in the coastal eastern city of Hualien at around sea level, heads north on Highway 9, and turns left into Highway 8, where it enters Tarako National Park, which is a deep gorge. The route gradually gains elevation as it goes westwards, ultimately ending above the clouds in Wuling, near Mt Heuhansan, which at 3275m (10,744 ft) is the highest paved road in Taiwan.[3] Because of the significant increase in elevation, altitude sickness is a concern as well as the sudden change in temperature and weather.[3]
Winners
Men
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012[4] | John Ebsen | Peter Pouly | David McCann |
| 2013[5] | Rahim Ememi | Amir Zargari | Wang Yin-chih |
| 2014[6] | John Ebsen | Ronald Yeung | Ariya Phounsavath |
| 2015[7] | Damien Monier | John Ebsen | Mark Dowling |
| 2016[8] | Óscar Pujol | Jai Hindley | Ben Dyball |
| 2017[9] | Vincenzo Nibali | Óscar Pujol | John Ebsen |
| 2018 | John Ebsen | Ben Dyball | Damien Monier |
| 2019[10] | Anthon Charmig | Ben Dyball | Pierpaolo Ficara |
| 2020[11] | John Ebsen | Christian Trenchev | Huang Guan-Lin |
| 2021[12] | Feng Chun-kai | Lu Shao-hsuan | Huang Kuan-lin |
| 2022[13] | John Ebsen | Huang Kuan-lin | Lu Shao-hsuan |
| 2023 | Ben Dyball | Jesús David Peña | Sohei Kaneko |
| 2024 | Race cancelled due to risk of landslides. |
Women
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Eri Yonamine | Tiffany Cromwell | Lian Yin Yi Ch |
| 2014[6] | Marg Fedyna | Qin Xin | Guo Nian Wen |
| 2015[7] | Eri Yonamine | Marg Fedyna | Tseng Hsiao-chia |
| 2016[14] | Emma Pooley | Yumiko Goda | Cheung Zi Yin |
| 2017 | Emma Pooley | Hayley Simmonds | Emily-Grace Collinge |
| 2018 | Lucy Kennedy | Emma Pooley | Edwige Pitel |
| 2019 | Ashleigh Moolman | Marianne Vos | Kate McIlroy |
| 2020[11] | Kuo Chia-chi | Chen Zih-yin | Sandra Boesiger |
| 2021[12] | Zeng Ke-xin | Wang Hsin-hui | Chen Tzi-yin |
| 2022[13] | Chiu Xen-xin | Cheng Shi-xuan | Wang Xin-hui |
| 2023 | Shoko Kashiki | Tsubasa Makise | Hsu Shu-wei |
| 2024 | Race cancelled due to risk of landslides. |
See also
References
- ^ "Travel: Taiwan KOM Challenge". VeloNews.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "Nibali ends season with victory at Taiwan KOM Challenge". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b "The Road to Taiwan KOM – Spring" (PDF). www.taiwankom.org.
- ^ "Ebsen climbs 3,275m to conquer Taiwan KOM Challenge". Cyclingnews.com. 12 November 2012.
- ^ Shane Stokes (9 November 2013). "Emami triumphs at 3,275 metres altitude in Taiwan KOM Challenge". velonation.com.
- ^ a b Chris Case (15 November 2014). "Ebsen, Fedyna take Taiwan KOM Challenge titles". Velonews.com.
- ^ a b Aaron Lee (30 October 2015). "Monier, Yonamine claim Taiwan KOM Challenge crowns". VeloNews.com.
- ^ Matt McNamara (1 November 2016). "Taiwan KOM Challenge 2016". pezcyclingnews.com.
- ^ "Nibali ends season with victory at Taiwan KOM Challenge - Gallery". cyclingnews.com. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "2019 Taiwan KOM Challenge Result - The General Classification" (PDF). taiwankom.org. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Danish cyclist wins fourth King of the Mountain Race". Taipei Times. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ a b Craig Sakamoto (30 October 2021). "VICTORIOUS FENG WINS 2021 TAIWAN KOM CHALLENGE – RESULTS". granfondodailynews.com.
- ^ a b Craig Sakamoto (29 October 2022). "KING OF THE MOUNTAIN: JOHN EBSEN WINS HIS 5TH TAIWAN KOM CHALLENGE". granfondodailynews.com.
- ^ "Pooley wins Taiwan KOM Challenge". Cyclingnews.com. 2 November 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Taiwan KOM Challenge palmares at Cycling Archives (archived, or current page in French)