Borobudur temple in Central Java and Batur Global Geopark in Bali have been prepared to host two crucial stages of the upcoming 2019 Tour de Indonesia road cycling race, the start and finish lines.

General manager of PT Borobudur Temple management I Gusti Putu Ngurah Sedana said the management had prepared the Marga Utama field, which has the famous temple as its backdrop, as the location for the race’s opening ceremony.

“We have allocated the east side of the temple for the starting line as it is the closest to the main road,” he said. Organizer spokesman Dean Benitez revealed that the organizers had completed all physical preparations, including procuring road signs.

“We will be placing them in final minutes before the race begins,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Dean said each road of the race had been thoroughly inspected and evaluated by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the Indonesian Cycling Association (PB ISSI) and the local transportation and traffic agencies.

The inspection, he added, evaluated, among other factors, the thickness of the asphalt, the angle of elevation and road signage. Cyclists from 26 countries grouped into 20 teams will participate in Indonesia’s most prestigious road cycling race, stretching 825.2 kilometers from Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java, to Bangli in Bali.

The race, which runs from Aug. 19 to 23, consists of five stages, the first being from Borobudur temple to Ngawi in East Java (180.74 km), the second from Madiun to Batu City (180.74 km), the third from Batu City to Jember (195.93 km), the fourth from Jember to Ijen crater in Banyuwangi (161.2 km) and the final stage from Gilimanuk to the Geopark Museum in Bangli (143.64 km).

“We will be readying road marshals on motorcycles along the route to clear the roads and ensure the participant’s safety,” he said. These road marshals, he added, would come with the police’s recommendation.

The organizer will also prepare ambulances and identify the fastest routes to selected hospitals. State-owned railway company PT KAI will also support the race by securing several level crossing along the route.

“In certain locations, we will also deploy helicopters and drones to monitor the participants.” He added that, after learning from last year’s race, every road would be closed for four to six hours from before, during and slightly after the racers passed.

Odie Setiawan, who is part of the State-owned Gas Company (PGN) team, has identified the second, fourth and fifth stages as the toughest.

“But the most challenging one will be the fourth, as it will finish at the Ijen crater area in the highlands,” he said.  

As for the fifth stage, the cyclists will ride along a route flanked by tourist spots like West Bali National Park, Pemuteran, Lovina and Northern Bali
before greeting the finish line at Batur Geopark, which has been recognized as a world geopark site by UNESCO.

Sahlan, a local organizer, said preparations were still underway.“We still need to coordinate with public officials in regard to the preparations,” he said.

The fifth stage will begin at Siwa park, known for the huge Siwa Mahadewa statue that has become an icon of Bali’s western gateway. A group of Balinese dancers will also entertain the cyclists before they begin the last stage.

“The music of jegog [bamboo instruments] will greet the racers when they arrive here,” he said. From a security perspective, Bangli police spokesman Adj. Comr. Sulhadi said 120 police officers would be deployed to safeguard the event.

Sulhadi warned all participants to remain alert to the different road conditions, stray dogs as well as fog, which can impact visibility in Batur and its surroundings areas.

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