Dozens of cyclists from 18 countries will be competing in the second edition of Tour de Lombok Mandalika, a 366.8-km race sanctioned by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body for cycling.
The tour features a three-stage race that will run from April 13 to 15 in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), reported The Jakarta Post.
The tour consists of a 84.4-km Kuta Mandalika-Kota Mataram route, the 172.4-km Mataram-Sembalun route in East Lombok and the 110-km Kota Mataram circuit race.
“Today, we officially launched the Tour de Lombok Mandalika event as part of our preparations to make sure that all routes are ready,” NTB Tourism Agency head Mohammad Faozal said on Sunday (April 1).
During the first stage, cyclists will be cycling through the Mandalika special economic zone, passing by its beaches and the traditional Sasak villages of Sade and Ende.
The Mataram-Sembalun route will feature the Sembalun village, a halal tourist destination and one of two gateways to Mount Rinjani – Indonesia’s second-highest peak at 3,726m – in East Lombok.
The circuit race in the final stage will take participants to several popular tourist spots in the provincial capital, including Jl. Lingkar Ampenan with its beach views, Ampenan Old Town and Sangkareang Park.
The event, classified as a 2.2 event, is the lowest level in the UCI calendar.