Mehdi Sohrabi (Tabriz Petrochemical Team) outkicked breakaway companion David McCann (Giant Kenda) on the uphill finish to win stage 2. Photo: © Tour de TaiwanIt's the kind of headline which has the ability to make some people roll their eyes, flare their nostrils, maybe even spit on the ground in disgust. You might not want to hear it, but I have a high opinion of Iranian pros, most notably on the Tabriz Petrochemical Team. For many years, guys like Mehdi SOHRABI, Ghader Mizbani and Hossein Askari have been earning results which would turn heads, if only their names were Johnny, or Matthew or Thomas.. I salute these guys for their consistent good results. Bravo. Their team is currently ranked 1st place at the Tour of Taiwan after Stage 5, which is no surprise after their team took the win on Stages 2 and 3.
There is more to pro road cycling than "Avrupa". (that's Turkish for "Europe") Asia is rapidly evolving into a pro racing Mecca, with very well attended national tours in almost every country, even in Turkey.. which brings me to a sore spot.. Turkey has very few "pros" attending these far eastern venues. It's a shame that in Turkey, most people look upon adults who ride bicycles, as imbeciles. Mountain biking is growing like wildfire, but road racing is pretty limited, with maybe 15 or so Federation-sanctioned venues throughout the season. We have that many races in one weekend in the Northeast US alone. Thanks for reading.
Floris Goesinnen (Drapac) solos to victory in stage four. Photo: © Tour de Taiwan
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