Vergil Foley
Ride it on
For many biking is a passion. It doesn't matter if you are a biker or you enjoy watching a race. If you are travelling in Asia, then here are few races you'd want to check out.
The Japan Cup is an annual one-day bicycle race held in the city of Utsunomiya in Japan since 1992. This professional road bicycle race is usually held in the month of October each year. This major cycling tournament brings together top-class cyclists from around the world and it is the only chance to see top-notch cyclists competing in this part of the world. There is plenty of preparation that goes on in Utsunomiya for the race and the main streets are kept closed during that time. Japan Cup is certified by the International Cycle Union as part of the UCI Asia Tour.
Held in the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand, the race will complete its 6th successful journey in 2016. Cycling enthusiasts from Thailand and around South Asia gathers in good spirits to have fun and travel while riders strive to become the best. The race goes on for five days and it is divided into four stages. For cycling aficionados, this is a great way not only to watch the competition but also explore the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. The event usually takes off from the city and there are various accommodation packages specifically targeting the event. The secret of a successful ride is not only talent and hard but also the equipment that the rides use. Using a good quality bicycle tyre from a reputed brand such as DSI Tyres is very important to ensure that a rider can complete the race without a problem.
Tour of Iran also known as Azerbaijan Tour is an annual bicycle race, which commenced in 1986. It is part of the UCI Asia Tour and is considered one of the oldest races in Asia as well as the Middle East. The tournament begins from Tabriz, the largest city in Iran. Participants from around the world gather to take part in this prestigious riding tour and in 2016 for the first time cyclists from the US participated in the event.
One of the biggest cycling tours in Asia, Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage race held in Malaysia. Named after the island of Langkawi in Malaysia, the race commenced in 1996 and has been held in the month of February ever since. The ten-day long event has ten different segments as well. While it is a unique route year, the toughest section is the Genting Highland climb up. Tour de Langkawi is also certified by the International Cycling Union. There are various categories of the race, the general category usually attracts the most attention while you also get a classification for sprinters and the mountain climbers. The time verification for each stage is compounded. The rider that has the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets the chance to wear the yellow jersey.
