REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SAWAHLUNTO -- Stage II of the bicycle race of the Tour de Singkarak is the longest track race by taking the Sawahlunto-Dharmasraya route as far as 204.1 km on Monday. The stage II race will take place in the Triangle Park, Sawahlunto on Monday at 09:00 a.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB) to Sawahlunto Market, Muaro Kalaban Intersection, Sumatra Cross Road, Pulau Punjung, Sei Rumba, Sikabau Intersection and finish at the Dharmasraya Regent Office.
The route is the longest stage in the TDS 2018 event. There are three sprint points, namely in Palangki (km 12.6), Dharmasraya (km 95) and Pasar Nagari, Ampalu (km 140.2) and two climb points namely KOM 1 category 3 in Tanjung Gadang (km 35.9) and KOM 2 category 3 at Tanjung Lolo (km 60.2).
Indonesian racers who joined the PGN Road Cycling team Novardianto Jamalidin will try to maintain the yellow jersey he won in stage I of the race.
Also read: Tour de Singkarak starts from Bukittinggi on Sunday
"The main goal is to maintain the yellow jersey but it all depends on the physical condition of the race on the road, if it is possible for us to survive we will survive the yellow jersey but we see tomorrow's conditions in the race," he said after the Stage I race at Sijunjung.
This year is the 10th year of Tour de Singkarak, even a decade into the UCI Asia Tour 2.2 calendar held in West Sumatra.
Event Director of the 2018 Tour de Singkarak Jamaludin Mahmud in Bukittingi, Saturday night, revealed that after the previous year with nine stages, this year has eight stages of TDS 2018. "This is one of the interesting things because the longer the event, the more tired the racer is and the risk is higher. But this year, if I say it fits eight stages," said Jamaludin.
TDS 2018 will cover a distance of 1,267 kilometers across 16 districts and cities in West Sumatra.
Jamaludin revealed that one of the challenges faced in this year's TDS event was weather. "This year's rains are heavier than last year," Jamaludin said.
A number of areas in West Sumatra were hit by floods and landslides after heavy rains last month. Heavy rains also caused landslides in the area of 300 meters before finishing in the first stage in Sijunjung, but with the alertness of the PU, landslides had been tidied up and the lane was safe for the racers to pass, said Jamaludin.
"Last year it only rained for a few days but it was not heavy, but this year with the wind and rain and torrential, then last month there was an incident of mud floods in Batusangkar, Payakumbuh. Hopefully during this year's race things will not happen like that, "Jamaludin added.
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