2015 Taiwan KOM Challenge prize money tops USD $80,000

The Taiwan Travel Bureau in association with the Taiwan Cyclist Federation is proud to announce the details of the eagerly anticipated 2015 Taiwan KOM Challenge on October 30, 2015.

This year’s race sees $1,000,000NT first prize up for grabs in the men’s elite category ($32,200US), and a continuation of the zero tolerance drug policy that was first introduced in 2014 to international acclaim, the first (and still only) policy of its kind in Asia.

Now in its fourth year, the Taiwan KOM Challenge is firmly established as Asia’s premier hill climb event and as the toughest of its kind in the world. Indeed, anyone who witnessed last year’s wet, cold edition will attest to that.

The 105km route travels from the eastern coastal town of Hualien, starting at sea level, and rises along its route to the roof of Taiwan, up on HeHuan Mountain at 3,375 meters.

The course takes the participants up at an average 4% through the breathtaking Taroko Gorge to the 97km point at Dayuling, and then rises up over its remaining kilometers to a maximum incline of 27%, making for a brutal final 8 kilometers.

The mountain dwarfs anything that North America and Europe have to offer, making the Taiwan KOM Challenge truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, oxygen-depleted air and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment wait to greet those who finish the ride within the 6 and a half hour time limit. Last year’s winner John Ebsen of Denmark completed the race in an astonishing 3 hours 40 minutes and 5 seconds from the official timed start, which begins after the 18km of neutralised riding.

In the past professional riders of the caliber of Jeremy Roy of Francaise des Jeux, Simon Clarke of Orica-GreenEdge and Tiffany Cromwell of Velocio-SRAM have taken part in the event, a tradition which continues this year with some big name riders, to be announced later.

Prize money this year will total to 2,410,000 New Taiwan dollars ($80,000US), with NT$1,000,000 (US$33,376) going to the overall winner of the men’s event. Cash prizes will go down to the 6th rider over the line, with NT$1,750,000 in total available for the men.

To keep everyone honest, a zero-tolerance Anti-Doping Policy is continued.

Entries now open. Find out more information here.

lowercasev

#yesyesyes
Chris

But will the prize money be equal for the Women’s winner?
- Lee Rodgers
  
  It’s not Chris, and it’s a failing of the event, but we are working to amend it. It’s a complicated affair as much of the prize money comes via the government. You can imagine that as a result, things move very slowly. However it is a prime concern, we have increased it a lot respectively since 2 years ago and it’s at the top of our agenda. I hold my hand up though on this one. It’s a bit Catch 22 though as if we had more women riding we could push for better prizes, but the existing inequality means some are turned off. Grant us some patience and we will work to balance it. Last year Nicole Cooke came though as a journalist, and we hope Tiffany Cromwell’s appearance the last two years will help.
- Chris Lee
  
  Less of them race it, so a smaller pool of entry fees collected. Also public interest is less so the media value is worth less to the organisers/government. I know this doesn’t mean less effort by the women who compete, however there is a reality.
- Greg Khan
  
  The intention here is good but the logic and the math is fuzzy. I know girls who can drop many a dude at any time and are certified bad a$$es but If the women’s field is a quarter the size of the men’s and barely half as deep,where is the logic in offering the same amount of prize money ? Is it simply a matter of being politically correct ?