Celebrate White Day on Taiwan's Most Romantic Scenery: Provincial Highway 3 3,000 Hakka Villages Give Support to All Bike Racers

The opening ceremony for the 2023 Tour de Taiwan - 3rd Stage Romantic Route 3 was held in the morning of March 14 at the Hsinchu HSR Station. Deputy Minister Chou Chiang-chieh of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC), Deputy Magistrate of Hsinchu County Chen Jian-sian, and Senior Executive Officer of the Miaoli County Government Huang Chih-chun attended the event to give a warm welcome to all 24 teams from 31 countries and nearly 200 top bike racers from around the world. The challenge awaiting them was the winding road of Provincial Highway 3. There, they were able to experience the unique cultural landscape surrounding Hakka villages, as to promote the sweeping sceneries and vibrancy of Hakka settlements through international sports events.

The stage of Romantic Route 3 began right next to Hsinchu HSR Station and the finished at Shigang Visitor Information Center in Taichung, amounting to a snaking course 154.5 kilometers long. This was also the only stage of the 2023 Tour de Taiwan to span more than one city and county. It had two intermediate sprints and two mountain points, key locations that saw some of the fiercest competition among participants. Additionally, racers were also able to feel the warmth of Hakka villagers as HAC invited government offices, elementary and junior high schools, and local grassroots organizations to set up rest stops to support and encourage international racers.

Deputy Minister Chou headed to Shigang Visitor Information Center in the afternoon to participate in the awards ceremony and closing event for the 2023 Tour de Taiwan stage three. Belgian Tijl De Decker from Lotto Dstny was the stage winner this time; Thanakhan Chaiyasombat won Best Asian Rider; Tijl De Decker from Lotto Dstny also won Sprint Leader; Australian Jack Aitken of St. George Continental Cycling Team won KOM Leader; and Raymond Kreder of JCL Team UKYO won Overall Leader. Feng Chun-kai finished in fourth place, the top racer from Chinese Taipei and second Best Asian Rider.

The Tour de Taiwan is classified as a 2.1 stage race as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the only international road race in Taiwan. Team Taiwan members include Feng Kai-chun, a 14th time participant in the Tour de Taiwan; Aaron Tu, a top cyclist who put aside his international pursuits to join the team; Liu En-chieh, gold medalist and sprinter; Dean Lu, seasoned member of the team; and Ray Chang, a promising new member of the team. They gave it their all and demonstrated Taiwan's audacious spirit.