Cyclist Jasper Philipsen to attend Taiwan's L'Étape Sun Moon Lake

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) Belgian road racing cyclist Jasper Philipsen will take part in the second edition of the Tour de France-certified L'Étape Sun Moon Lake cycling event in October, the Tourism Administration announced Wednesday.

Philipsen, who won three stages in the 2024 Tour de France when riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck, will travel to Taiwan for the L'Étape series event held at Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan on Oct. 18, the top tourism promotion agency in Taiwan's government said during a press event.

The Belgian cyclist is one of the fastest sprinters on the circuit after winning the green jersey in the overall points competition at the Tour de France in 2023 and finishing second last year.

Tourism Administration Director General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said at the press event in Taipei that Taiwan has built about 5,000 kilometers of cycle paths across the country as part of post COVID-19 pandemic efforts to promote low-carbon tourism.

Hiking trails and railway tours are also part of such efforts, according to Chou.

First held in the Pyrenees between France and Spain in 1993, the L'Étape series' website describes the Tour de France-certified event as "a sporting challenge" and "a tourist adventure."

The Sun Moon Lake stop of the L'Étape series in October includes two race divisions in terms of length for each gender -- 104 km and 29 km -- with registration open until June 27, according to the event website.

The 104-km group is further divided into a "Race" group and a challenge group, with the winner in the "Race" group to receive a Tour de France yellow jersey, a trophy and qualification to participate in the 2026 L'Étape France Championship in France.

In addition, in the event a Taiwanese cyclist wins the men's or women's race, they will receive NT$100,000 (US$3,335), the Tourism Administration said in a press statement.

The individual with the quickest combined time for the two King of the Mountain (KOM) climbing sections in the men's and women's groups in the 104-km group race will also qualify for the 2026 championships and receive a Tour de France KOM polka dot jersey.

In the inaugural Sun Moon Lake event in November 2024, four-time Tour de France champion and two-time Olympic medalist Chris Froome of Britain won the race, while his fellow British cyclist Mark Cavendish also took part in the race as a guest of the event.

Last year's event at Sun Moon Lake was part of the 33rd edition of the L'Étape series, with the championships scheduled for July 20.