nternational Tour de Banyuwangi Ijen (ITdBI) 2017 entered its third stage on Sept. 29. In this stage, cyclists had to tackle an ascending route after doing the sprint track in the previous stage.
The race started from Ikan Muncar Port and will finish at Paltuding, Ijen Crater that has the height of 1,880 meters.
At the port, decorated fishing boats were lining up on the side of the dock. Prior to the beginning of race, an art performance was being showcased there.
“Tour de Ijen isn’t merely a sports tourism event, it’s also a tool to strengthen the locals,” told Banyuwangi regent Abdullah Azwar Anas.
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The involvement of the local residents and communities for this event is also seen in the parade of 14 vehicles decorated with eye-catching figures such as a huge fish and replicas of the international cyclists. The parade was conducted an hour before the cyclists entered the speed race on the track.
The idea of this parade came when the regent was invited to attend the opening of Tour de France.
“The parade was an inseparable part of Tour de France, it is an interesting attraction that we can implement at Tour de Ijen,” said Abdullah.
“This parade will be performed until the last stage [of the competition],” he added. (asw)
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