Such has been the growth of the Southeast Asian road cycling scene over the past decade, that the region now supports a long list of fantastic amateur races throughout the year. Riders flock to the likes of the Tour of Phuket, the Tour de Bintan, the Tour of Friendship, the Masters Tour of Chiang Mai, the Taiwan KOM Challenge and the Etape Thailand from all over Asia and beyond, with most competing as part of groups from cycling clubs and racing teams. But a large number of entrants to these events travel as individuals and it’s perhaps surprising in such a vibrant market that more hasn’t been done by some of the region’s cycling tours operators to attract these solo racers with enhanced packages.

​SpiceRoads Cycling, one of Southeast Asia’s leading cycling tours company for over 20 years, has actually dabbled with this concept before, but they’ve recently decided to go big and have launched what look like fantastic deals for three of the biggest events on the calendar: the Masters Tour of Chiang Mai, the Taiwan KOM Challenge and the Etape Thailand. All three races take place in October and the official websites each offer fairly straightforward online registration processes, but the people at SpiceRoads Cycling are betting that there are a lot of cyclists out there who are willing to pay a bit extra for the luxury experience they are offering. Click here to read the full article.

The Haute Route brand of competitive cycling adventures took a first step outside of its comfort zones of Europe and the United States in March of this year with a foray into the Middle East for the Haute Route Oman. For the 200+ riders who travelled from all the world to the three-day event, it delivered a unique cycling adventure set in a culture and on terrain most had never experienced before.
 
From a cultural point of view, the gracious hospitality of the Omani people, their elegant clothing and the fantastic local food will be the abiding memories, while from the cycling side of things, it’s the sand, mountains and wind that stand out. The sand was expected and what’s a Haute Route without mountains? But an unseasonably strong wind brought an unforeseen extra element of challenge, as it whipped the sand into eyes, ears, noses and throats, and messed with drivetrains, bearings and bottom brackets. High up in the mountains the wind was an even bigger factor. On occasion it provided a helping hand and pushed the riders up the steep slopes, but when blowing head on, it had the effect of adding what felt like an extra degree or two to the already severe gradients. Click on this link to read the full feature story.

The unique and exciting OCBC Cycle Speedway Championships returned to the Singapore  Sports Hub last Saturday and after six hours of thrilling action the national team of the Philippines were crowned Southeast Asia champions, while the Specialized Roval Mavericks retained their title as top local club. 

What makes the OCBC Cycle Speedway Championships unique is that it combines criterium racing with a team relay. Each of the rounds of racing took place over 10 laps of a hotdog circuit skirting the northern edge of the Singapore National Stadium. Significant this year was the presence for the first time of not just one all-female squad, but two; the Anza Women’s Cycling Team and the Fahrenheit Performance Development Team were the pioneers. 

​Click on this link to read the full race report.