The Tour de Timor is well known as a lucrative and challenging mountain bike stage race in Asia and has previously won wide acclaim in world media as a niche environmental, cultural, physical and spiritual adventure.
Along with dozens of agencies from all spectrums of media, the 2018 Tour de Timor will be reaching millions of people throughout the world. The Tour de Timor is a story of human determination, courage, rich culture, untouched natural wilderness, international sporting excellence, creating young Timorese national heroes from a resilient people who are embracing and celebrating peace in their young nation.
The Tour de Timor has set its place firmly on the international Mountain Biking calendar as a world-class event. In 2011 the world mountain biking legend and former world champion from the USA, Tinker Juarez, took part in the event finishing fourth. Many other current national champions and world elite athletes also competed from 20 countries along with 150 athletes and adventurers from around the world in 2017.
As well as international exposure, it has grown nationally to be an event that draws and inspires riders and fans from every municipality. The streets of every town passed were lined with thousands of excited children keen to take part in what is a truly nation-building event. What has become one of the favorite aspects of the race for International riders, the Tour de Timor draws hundreds of thousands of spectators over the five-day event, similar to Tour de France.
In 2018 the Tour de Timor’s theme is “Timor-Leste – 10 Years on Tour” due to our 10 year anniversary. In addition every effort will be made to ensure that local Timorese riders are given the appropriate preparatory support, including equipment, nutritional support and specialized training – this effort will be coordinated with The Cycling Federation of Timor-Leste.
The 2018 Tour de Timor will also be the first step towards taking the race to 1000 riders and extending the race format from five to ten days in the near future. I thank you for your interest and look forward to welcoming you to join us for the ride of a lifetime.