Is it fair to call Tour de Jakarta ‘the invisible race’? Relative to other 2012 UCI AsiaTour calendar events with a 2.2 ranking, last weekend’s 165 kilometer circuit race produced mostly weak media ripples that petered out somewhere in the Java Sea. Fortunately, a few details still lapped onto our shores.
Image credit: Sportku.com
Thanks to official media partner Sportku, and headline sponsor Polygon (an Original Brand Manufacturer that is Indonesia’s equivalent of Giant Bicycles), local coverage leading into the race was discoverable with patience but, once again, the failure of the Union Cycliste Internationale to mandate minimum media outreach standards from its sanctioned events guaranteed that international cycling fans were probably blissfully unaware of the 12 local and 4 foreign teams competing in a bubble of disconnectivity on Sunday, 17 June.
Details of how the race played out are sparse. It’s clear from photos and a brief race report from Sportku that a two-man break comprising 2011 South East Asian Games road cycling champion Hari Fitrianto (ISSI East Java) and American Vinyl – LPGMA’s Cris Joven (Philippines) held a 200 meter gap over the peloton to the finish, resulting in Joven taking his most significant career victory, with local Patria Rastra (Colossi Miche) booking third spot on the podium. There are also some highlights on YouTube:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcfPznrqKU&feature=player_detailpage]
Cycling iQ has just returned from a long weekend sans internet, so more details will be added if/when they are discovered. [The below race results, modified by Cycling iQ, are courtesy of the UCI’s results page; prompt publication of race results being the only reporting function that a race organizer is duty-bound to comply with, according to UCI regulations. All other coverage is a bonus.]
2012 TOUR DE JAKARTA RESULTS
Even in the Philippines, the victory of my countryman Chris Joven was not reported in the major dailies. Even the participation of a Philippine team was not reported in the sports pages.. Only in the cycling social network group that I gathered this news….. Such a disappointment for the continued neglect of cycling… An “invisible victory” by a Filipino rider in an “invisible race”…..
Thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention. I’m currently in a good dialogue with the UCI about AsiaTour coverage so I’ll ensure this example is included in the discussions.
Sir Gorio Belen: Only today by revisiting this page did i come across your very well said comment. I’m one with the same sentiment. Hopefully now that the UCI is always on the hot seat because of scandals and the oncoming elections of it’s body, they will give events such as this it’s due credit, recognition and value.
