That the recently concluded 2018 Masters Tour of Chiang Mai (MTCM) solidified the four-day stage race’s reputation as one of the best cycling events in Southeast Asia shouldn’t be a surprise to previous participants, but its success wasn’t seen as a sure thing in the run-up to the October 13-16 event.
There were a few fears going into what was the eighth edition of the MTCM that it might struggle to maintain the momentum that it has steadily built each year since its inception in 2011 due to potentially lower participatory numbers. However, those worries proved to be unfounded as nearly 200 bike racers and the northern Thai capital put on another entertaining and memorable show. The concerns arose due to a late change of dates forced on the race organisers by the Thai cycling federation which put the MTCM into direct competition with the Hong Kong Cyclethon and brought it to within two weeks of the Tour de Kepri. But in a twist of fate, the forced date change may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise as a big cadre of Thai riders, who wouldn’t have been able to compete on the original October 20-23 dates, gave the race a distinct home flavour. Click here to read the full story.
There were a few fears going into what was the eighth edition of the MTCM that it might struggle to maintain the momentum that it has steadily built each year since its inception in 2011 due to potentially lower participatory numbers. However, those worries proved to be unfounded as nearly 200 bike racers and the northern Thai capital put on another entertaining and memorable show. The concerns arose due to a late change of dates forced on the race organisers by the Thai cycling federation which put the MTCM into direct competition with the Hong Kong Cyclethon and brought it to within two weeks of the Tour de Kepri. But in a twist of fate, the forced date change may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise as a big cadre of Thai riders, who wouldn’t have been able to compete on the original October 20-23 dates, gave the race a distinct home flavour. Click here to read the full story.
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