The racing event which was opened by Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu in the historic city of Bukittinggi, will run until June 9, 2013.
The cyclists grouped in 21 teams, 15 of which are foreign ones.
The foreign teams comprising the Action Cycling Team (Taiwan), Ayadeh Continental Team and Tabriz Petrocemical Cycling Team (Iran), Budget Forklifts (Australia), CCN Cycling Team (Brunei), Global Cycling Team (Netherlands), Japan National Team, LBC MVPSF Cycling Philippines, Team 7 Eleven Presented By Roadbike Philippines, Team Differdange-Losch, Team Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Trengganu Cycling Team (Malaysia), Vietnam National Team (Vietnam).
Meanwhile, six of the Indonesian teams are the Indonesian National Team, Binong Baru Club Pessel, BRCC Banyuwangi Team, Custom Cycling Club, Polygon Sweet Nice, Putra Perjuangan Bandung, and Team WTG Tuah Sakato.
The event altogether extended over seven stages, during which the participants will cover 1,057 kilometers.
The cyclists will pass through 17 of 19 districts/cities in the province, namely the cities of Padang, Pariaman, Padang Panjang, Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, Sawahlunto and Solok, then the districts of Padangpariaman, Agam, Pasaman, Tanah Datar, Limapuluh Kota, Solok, Pesisir Selatan, Sijunjung, Dharmasraya and Solok Selatan.
Thousands of people in the city of Bukittinggi on Sunday (June 2) saw off the 142 cyclists.
On the first day of the race, the cyclists competed pedaling their bikes from the Jam Gadang park towards equator monument in Bonjol, Pasaman District.
At the first stage of the event (from Bukittinggi to Bonjol), Hossein Askari of Tabriz Petrocemical Cycling Team (TPT/Iran) won the TdS first stage with time record 2.27.15.
Hossein Askari, along with Oscal Pujol Munoz reached the finish line in Bonjol simultaneously.
Hossein Askari and Oscal Pujol Munoz were followed by Alireza Asgharzadeh who is also of the TPT/Iran with time record 02.27.26.
Indonesian cyclist, Bambang Suryadi of the Indonesian National Team, meanwhile, made the time record 02.28.57.
Although Bambang was the fastest in the national category, he was the seventh at the finish line of the first stage.
After completing the stage one from Bukittinggi to Bonjol (Pasaman District) at the distance of 104 kilometers, all racers will undergo the stage two from Payakumbuh to Lake Singkarak at the distance of 124.5 kilometers on MOnday (June 3).
In the meantime, results of the stage one overall classifications are as follows.
General Results
1. Hossein Askari (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 02.27.15
2. Oscar Pujol Munoz (Polygon Sweet Nice) 02.25.15
3. Alireza Asgharzadeh (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 02.27.26
4. Jacob Kauffman (Budget Forklifts) 02.28.35
5. Salvador Guardiola Tora (Team Differdange-Losch) 02.28.35
6. Cal Britten (OCBC Singapore) 02.28.57
7. Bambang Suryadi (Indonesian National team) 02.28.57
8. Saeid Safarzadeh (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 02.29.17
9. Robin Manulang (Indonesian National team) 02.29.17
10. Sergey Kuzmin (Polygon Sweet Nice) 02.29.17
Indonesian Racers
1. Bambang Suryadi (Indonesia National team) 02.28.57
2. Robin Manulang (Indonesia National team) 02.29.17
3. Fatahillah Abdullah (Indonesian National team) 02.29.35
Results of Teams
1. Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling Team 07.23.57
2. Polygon Sweet Nice 07.26.07
3. Timnas Indonesia 07.27.49
Results of sprint KM 62
1. Hossein Nateghi (Tabriz Petrochemical Tema) 5 points
2. Mohd Zamri Saleh (Trengganu Cycling Team) 3 points
3. Ryan Areihan (Indonesian National team) 2 points
4. Elan Riyadi Sutomo (Binong Baru) 1 point
Results of sprint KM 80.3
1. Hossein Askari (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 5 points
2. Alireza Asgharzadeh (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 3 points
3. Sergey Kuzmin (Polygon Sweet Nice) 2 points
4. Oscar Pujol Munoz (Polygon Sweet Nice) 1 point
Results of KOM (King of Mountain) KM 34,5
1. Yih Chih Wang (CCN) 5 points
2. Fito Bakdo Prilanji (CCN) 3 point
3. Hasan Basaharil (Putra Perjuangan) 2 points
4. Sea Keong Loh (OCBC Singapore) 1 point
Results of KOM KM 69,5
1. Hossein Askari (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 5 points
2. Alireza Asgharzadeh (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) 3 points
3. Sergey Kuzmin (Polygon Sweet Nice) 2 points
4. Oscar Pujol Munoz (Polygon Sweet Nice) 1 point
The West Sumatra provincial government will provide total prize money worth Rp1.2 billion or higher compared with that of one billion rupiah last year.
The TdS, which was firstly held in 2009 has become an annual agenda for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
Singkarak Lake (which has lent its name to the bicycle race) is approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide, extending over an area of 107.8 km; it is a popular tourist destination in West Sumatra.
The cyclists will also ride past the two adjacent lakes, Danau (lake) Di Atas and Danau Di Bawah, which are located near the Solok district town of Alahan Panjang.
The lake "Danau Di Atas" is located at an altitude of 1,531 meters above sea level, while "Danau Di Bawah" lies at an altitude of 1,663 meters above sea level.
"West Sumatra is a `heaven` on earth because this province has almost all of the potentials such as green nature, lakes, sea, rivers and mountains as well as the potentials of the tremendous tourist objects," Minister Mari Pangestu quoted tourists as saying prior to the opening ceremony of the TdS at the Bung Hatta palace in Bukittinggi.
According to her, the TdS can promote the potentials of the region.
The opening ceremony of the 5th TdS was also attended by Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar and West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno.
(B003/S012)
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
