Highly Anticipated Tour de Bintan to Kick Off in October

Australian pros confirm their participation in the cycling event, remaining slots filling up fast

SINGAPORE, 12 AUGUST 2010 – Following the success of last year’s trial race, race organisers, Tribob, have announced the official launch of the Tour de Bintan, an endurance cycling event that will take place from 15 to 17 October 2010. The Tour de Bintan is set to test the mettle of participants with challenging routes over 3 gruelling stages in two days covering a total distance of 268km. The event has already seen the likes of Australia’s brightest cycling stars Cameron Meyer, Travis Meyer and Luke Durbridge confirm their attendance at the event as ambassadors as registration slots for the various race categories have almost been snapped up completely.

The Tour de Bintan will unveil the true beauty of the Indonesian landscape, and will include various intermediate sprints for the Sprint Ace and challenging climbs for the King of the Mountain jerseys. Through each stage, cyclists will receive support from spectators of all ages who will be cheering them on as they ride past fishing villages, dense lush green forests and beautiful unspoiled beaches.

With the increased popularity in cycling over the past two to three years, the Tour de Bintan is especially popular amongst Singaporeans and Singapore-based expatriates giving them the opportunity to experience road racing in a multi-stage and multi-day format. As compared with other key cycling races of this nature in Asia, the Tour de Bintan has the unique characteristic to be a Tour for amateur in a competitive format where the cyclists select their race category based on cycling skills and experience rather than age group.

One of the most hotly contested categories will be Category 1, which will see the most serious and experienced teams from Singapore and all around the region vying for the total prize purse of $10,000. The largest participation will be in Category 2 and Category 3 which are meant for competitive and passionate cyclists who are however a level below category 1. The competitive women cyclists will have their own category, and a recreational category is available for cycling enthusiasts who just want to complete the 268km or get a taste of the action by doing only one stage.

Stage 1 (156km) of the Tour de Bintan will start off from Simpang Lagoi via the picturesque Trikora coast, Kijang and Tanjung Pinang back to Simpang Lagoi. Travelling through the undulating hills and greenery of Nirwana Gardens and the town of Tanjung Uban on Stage 2 (74km), the cyclists will face more stinging hills and energy-sapping sprint sections. On Stage 3 (38km), participants will race past Bintan Resort’s reservoir and golf courses before sprinting to the finish line.

On their way to Bintan, world Champion cyclists, Cameron Meyer, Travis Meyer and Luke Durbridge will make a stopover in Singapore, and hold a talk on 13th October open to the public. Cycling fans will be able to meet the trio and learn about what it takes to be a world champion and ride the UCI pro tours next to Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. On the 13th and 14th of October the trio will also conduct a bike fitting workshop and a training ride giving amateur cyclists the opportunity to pick up cycling techniques. They will then head to Bintan where they will be flagging off the Tour de Bintan and contributing to race commentary.

Professional cyclist Cameron Meyer, at just 22 years of age is one to watch, often described by the media as a cycling superstar in the making. He is the first Australian to be a triple-gold medallist at the 2010 World Track Cycling Championships and an Australian TimeTrial Champion. Currently riding for the Garmin-Transitions Team, Cameron was also the youngest cyclist to compete in this year’s Giro d’Italia and has been awarded the Australian Male Track Cyclist of the Year for three years running from 2007 to 2009.

Said Cameron Meyer, “I am really looking forward to being a part of the Tour de Bintan this October. I believe that it will be a wonderful experience for the cyclists to experience a cycling tour on such a beautiful tropical island that Bintan is. The tropical heat and hills will add to the physical challenge and make it a test of mental strength. Cycling brings the competitor out of each individual so it will be interesting to see how the competition unfolds!”

Travis Meyer, the younger brother of Cameron and also a rider for the Garmin-Transitions Team, is the 2010 Australian Road Race Champion and a five-time World Champion at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships. Awarded the 2008 Australian Junior Male Track Cyclist of the Year, the 21-year-old has represented his country together with his brother and is highly regarded as an exciting talent with enormous potential.

Another of Australia’s up-and-coming riders, 19-year-old Luke Durbridge, will also be sharing his knowledge during the workshop sessions with other riders and participants. Currently riding for the Jayco Skins Team, Luke is a three-time World Champion at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships having begun cycling competitively since the age of 14.

Nathalie Marquet of Tribob said, “The sport of cycling has undoubtedly grown in popularity in Southeast Asia with many cycling clubs and teams being set up in the region. There is still though a shortage of quality races to get the sport to the next level in terms of participation and public interest. We hope the Tour de Bintan can contribute to that. The island of Bintan has the perfect terrain and infrastructure and offers a gorgeous backdrop. We are delighted with the response received thus far and hope that the Tour de Bintan will grow the enthusiasm and participation in the sport in the coming years.”

The organisers are expecting a total crowd of 450 participants across all categories. The Tour de Bintan will also feature entertainment activities and other side events taking place at Nirwana Gardens, the event host, such as an interactive Q&A session with the Meyer brothers and Luke Durbridge, a photo opportunity by celebrity photographer Russell Wong and a Tour dinner taking place after stage 1 reviewing the exploits of the day.

Limited slots for Category 2, Category 3, Women Category and Recreational Category are still available. For more information on the Tour De Bintan or to register for the event or the talk and workshops, please refer to the event website – http://www.tourdebintan.com/.