2013 OCBC Cycle Singapore Pro Criterium preview | Cycling iQ Riders from ProTeam ORICA-GreenEDGE are set to feature amongst a peloton of select ProContinental and Continental teams in Friday night s 2013 OCBC Cycle Singapore Professional Criterium which, in its fifth year, will feature a start-list that many races on the AsiaTour would be proud … Read more
InSight | China s media ponders cycling | Where is pro cycling and cycling culture in China going? For most of the year, this question circles in a small fishbowl of new media (like this blog). However, the recent Tour of Beijing has helped the discussion spill over into much larger ponds, including that of … Read more
InSight: Hong Kong s pro cycling future Hong Kong s presence in elite cycling has been most keenly felt through the exploits of its favourite sporting son, Wong Kam Po. Following two decades of regional dominance, Wong s career is winding down and mainland China is receiving all the attention in global pro cycling circles. … Read more
2012 Tour of Japan | Stage 4: Fujisan | 37-year old Fortunato Baliani invested forty minutes and twenty three seconds of his life and got 18 seconds back. Though other riders got better relative returns in today s 11.4 kilometer mass-start hill climb up Fujisan, the wily Italian moved closer to the biggest prize. Arredondo … Read more
2012 Tour of Japan stage 3: Minami-Shinshu Can a 150 meter climb be a decisive element of a 148 kilometer stage? Surely not! What if those 148 kilometers were the aggregate of a 12.2km circuit completed 12 times, with that same climb featuring on every lap? That might hurt. Consider this: of the 89 starters … Read more
Merida s Tour de France ambition Merida Industry Co., Ltd, Taiwan s second largest bicycle manufacturing company after Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd, is now actively pursuing entry to the Tour de France. But first, the brand needs a team. Cycling iQ spoke about the barriers to entry with Merida VP, William Jeng, at Taipei Cycle … Read more
2012 Taipei Cycle Show | Day 1 gallery | Taipei Cycle Show is to the bicycle industry what BaselWorld is to the jewellery and timepiece sector. It s the mass platform for brands and factories to connect with buyers all the way down the supply chain. Now in its 25th year, almost 1,100 exhibitors are competing for … Read more
Shadow optic: the manufacturing partner paradox Who really makes your bike? It is a simple enough question. Country of origin has traditionally been a touchy subject for brands that rely on Asia-based manufacturing partners , let alone revealing who the partners are. Discovering the factory behind the brand is a stubbornly topical pastime amongst bicycle … Read more
Middle East cycling lost in Asia? In 2005, the UCI introduced major reforms to disrupt the Euro-centricity of professional cycling and promote the sport s globalisation . Tomorrow, the 2.HC-ranked Tour of Qatar will initiate the 8th UCI Asia Tour season. Cycling iQ investigates the reform s outcomes in the Middle East and asks a … Read more
Full circle? Bicycle brands resist costly China In an effort to curb the rising costs of doing business on the mainland, Advanced International Multitech Co Ltd (AIM), a publicly-listed OEM to some of the world s most evocative bicycle and golfing brands, intends to migrate Chinese production lines back into its Taiwan operations. With annual … Read more