It wasn’t a case of third time lucky for Ireland’s Mark Dowling - second from left - at the Taiwan KOM Challenge today but he finished an impressive 16th in a race regarded as one of the toughest in the world.
By Brian Canty
Mark Dowling has fallen short in his bid to win the highly-prestigious and lucrative Taiwan KOM Challenge, the ASEA-Wheelworx man finishing 16th overall, some 11 minutes behind the winner.
Dowling, aiming to improve on third last year and 10th the year before came into the fifth edition of the 105-kilometre race as one of the favourites.
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And though he stayed with the leaders for much of the race he lost ground in the final 10 kilometres.
His finishing time of 3 hours and 40 minutes is still an incredible time for the contest that features 87 kilometres of uphill on the way to the summit at Mount Hehuan at almost 3,300 metres.
Spanish rider Oscar Puyol of Team UKYO won in a time of 3 hours 29 minutes with Jai Hindley (Attaque Team Gusto Cycling) second some five seconds back.
Another Australian, Ben Dyball, rounded out the podium in third a further 13 seconds back. John Ebsen of Denmark, who has won the race in the past, was fifth.
Former professional Emma Pooley from the UK was the winner of the women's race.
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