Imagine Yourself as a Tour de Taiwan Racer: What Would Happen If You Rode the Course?

A Cruel Thought Experiment

Imagine that tomorrow you get on your road bike and take on the route of Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour de Taiwan — an 80.6 km circuit race in Taipei. What would happen?

Average Cyclist vs. Pro Rider

If You Started in the Taipei Stage…

Kilometer 0 (The Start)

The official waves the flag, and 177 riders push off simultaneously. Your heart rate spikes from resting to 170 bpm within 5 seconds. All around you, carbon wheels hum.

Kilometer 0.5 (30 seconds later)

The peloton’s speed has already reached 48 km/h. You find yourself flying down Ren’ai Road at a pace you’ve never experienced, wedged between more than 100 riders.

Kilometer 3 (One-third of the first lap)

You start gasping for air. The riders around you look relaxed — some are even chatting. The pace you’re pushing at full effort is just a “warm-up” for them.

Kilometer 8.91 (End of the first lap)

You’re still alive! But your legs are already burning. Eight laps to go.

Kilometer 18 (Second lap)

The peloton’s speed shifts from “fast” to “faster.” Riders start surging for position. You try to hold on, but your heart rate is already at 95% of max — an intensity you can sustain for at most 5 minutes.

Kilometer 27 (Third lap)

You get dropped. The peloton roars past you like a high-speed train, leaving you alone in the wind. No one is sheltering you anymore.

Kilometer 40 (Halfway)

You’re riding solo at 28 km/h. The group ahead has vanished from sight. Your GPS shows you’re about 3 minutes behind the main field — and the gap is still growing.

Kilometer 60

Your thighs are cramping (just like Huang Wei-cheng). Your energy gels are gone. You start questioning your life choices.

Kilometer 80.6 (The Finish)

You finally see the finish arch. Rajovic finished 30 minutes ago. You cross the line in 2 hours 48 minutes — 1 hour 12 minutes behind the winner.

But you made it. And you’re still alive.

What About All Five Days?

You’d finish about 9 hours behind the winner. That’s the chasm between amateur and professional.

But You’d Also Do Things They Never Could

Conclusion

You may never ride these routes at a Tour de Taiwan rider’s speed. But you can absolutely enjoy the same scenery, the same roads, and the same challenge at your own pace.

The only difference is speed. And cycling has never been just about speed.

It’s about the scenery, about the challenge, about finding the will to keep going when you’re exhausted.

In that regard, you and Rajovic are no different.

Related Reading

• If You Want to Take on the Tour de Taiwan Route Yourself: A Five-Day Cycling Trip Planning Guide
• Your First Cycling Race: A Rookie’s Heart, a Chaotic Start Line, and an Unexpected Overtake
• Tour de Taiwan by the Numbers: 635 Kilometers Told Through Data
• The View at 50 km/h: Where Should You Stand as a Tour de Taiwan Spectator?