Indonesia’s prime Cycling event the Tour de Singkarak in West Sumatra has now reached the top 5 position in the world as cycling event. Tour de Singkarak Chairman, Sapta Nirwandar announced that Tour de Singkarak is positioned after the Tour de France in France, Italy, Spain and Australia.
Covering 1,300 km TdS will take 9 days to complete and is participated by 25 Indonesian and international teams, including those from the Netherlands and Italy, this year’s event will be held from 3 to 11 October 2015. This year, TdS will see its start at the Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, the most southern coastal district in West Sumatra, and will finish in the province’s capital city of Padang.
The most challenging parts of the course will be the Kelok 44 and Kelok 9, or the 44 and 9 hairpin bends, and the extreme climb at Bukit Sileh. Racers will take in the beauty of the countryside of Lake Singkarak, the Twin Lakes, the Harau Valley, Lake Maninjau, and Puncak Lawang or the Lawang Peak. Other cultural attractions include the Palace of Istano Basa Pagaruyung, the old coal mining town of Sawahlunto and others, and of course the welcoming smiles of the people cheering racers along the entire track.
Sapta Nirwandar added that the total budget assigned for the Tour de Singkarak will be Rp. 15 billion contributed by the provincial government, the district and city local governments, the Ministry of Tourism and sponsors. While contested prizes will total Rp. 1.4 billion, and with more sponsors the prize may even reach Rp. 2.5 billion, said Tourism Minister, Arief Yahya.
