TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of cyclists from 22 countries have confirmed participation in the Tour de Lombok Mandalika to be held later this month.

Head of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Tourism Service Lalu Moh Faozal has said the four day race starting April 13 is organized by the Indonesian Association of Cyclists (ISSI) and has received a recommendation as a Category 2.2 race from by The Union Cycliste Internationale.

"Altogether there are 22 countries with more than a hundred cyclists," Faozal said on Saturday.

The countries include Indonesia, the Netherlands, Germany, Laos, Thailand, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Japan, France, South Korea, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Colombia, Italy, Mongolia and China, he said.

"Including group members, the cyclists and team could be more than 1,000 people," he said.

The Tour de Lombok Mandalika will consist of four stages - Mataram - Kuta, Central Lombok 126 Km; the port of Bangsal - Senaru 113 km in the regency of North Lombok; Kuta in the regency of Central Lombok - Sembalun in the regency of East Lombok 115 Km and the city of Mataram in 10 round totaling 112 km with sprints in third, sixth and ninth lanes.

"Specially the city of Mataram, is route of sprint race," Faozal said.

A representative of the PB ISSI Dadang said the cyclists will go through flat and rising road. The toughest of the four stages is the third from Kuta, Central Lombok leading to Sembalun, East Lombok.

"It is difficult because the road goes steadily upward," Dadang said.

He said preparations for the Tour de Lombok Mandalika has been 90 percent completed in the route and the technical matters.

The prizes for the race winners will total Rp800 million.

The country has organized a number of cycling races mainly aimed at promoting the countrys tourist objects.

Last year the country held Tour de Flores intended to be an international sporting event but designed to promote the tourism wealth of East Nusa Tenggara.

Tour de Flores is to be held again in May this year in six stages from Larantuka to end in Labuan Bajo.

Similar sporting event has also been held in West Sumatra - Tour de Singkarak.

ANTARA