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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Ko heads to Pingtung in ‘twin-tower’ bicycle trip
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je poses for a picture next to his bicycle at Fuguijiao Lighthouse, Taiwan’s northernmost lighthouse, at 5.26am yesterday as he set out on an attempt to reach the southernmost Oluanpi Lighthouse, 520km away, in one day. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei
By Sean Lin / Staff reporter
Braving the rain and low temperatures, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） early yesterday morning set off on a 520km “twin-tower” bicycle trip from the nation’s northernmost Fuguijiao Lighthouse （富貴角燈塔） in Keelung to the southernmost Oluanpi Lighthouse （鵝鑾鼻燈塔） in Pingtung County.
Wearing only a spandex shirt and shorts and a raincoat, Ko set off from the Fuguijiao Lighthouse at 5:30am, where the temperature was just 15oC.
Taipei City Government spokesman Sidney Lin （林鶴明） said that Ko hopes to finish the journey in 27 hours.
Ko was surrounded by an entourage of about 100 cyclists, including his coach and aides, as well as dozens of cycling enthusiasts who joined him for the ride.
Due to the poor weather, Ko, who was about half an hour behind schedule, skipped the first rest stop in Guandu （關渡） in Taipei’s Beitou District （北投） and went full throttle, stopping only at red lights.
Even though Ko managed to arrive at the second stop, Taoyuan’s Yongan （永安） Fishing Harbor, on time, he lagged behind by the next stop, Hsinchu County’s Nanliao Harbor （南寮）.
He made it past the Jhuoshuei River （濁水溪） separating Yunlin and Changhua counties just after 4:30pm.
At press time last night, Ko was in Chiayi’s Budai Township （布袋） and had cycled 301km.
Unlike his previous “twin-city” bicycle trip, in which he rode from Guandu to Kaohsiung, Ko kept a low profile on yesterday’s trip, with no live broadcasts or GPS data provided by his aides.
Ko attracted much fanfare and was warmly received by residents in central and southern areas on his previous trip. The mayor was greeted by a huge crowd of fans who waited for him outside a rest stop in Chiayi and cornered him when he stopped at a convenience store to use the restroom.
Netizens responded positively to yesterday’s trip. Ko’s Facebook post about the trip received more than 130,000 “likes” in five hours, with many netizens leaving comments praising the 56-year-old’s courage and determination.
However, former department of health minister Yeh Chin-chuan （葉金川） described yesterday’s trip as “extreme sports,” saying that it set a “bad example” for the public due to the potential health risks of intensive cycling.
Yeh said that Ko, a physician, likely understands his physical condition better than most people.
“I would advise ordinary people against it [excessive cycling]. It is dangerous,” Yeh said.
Yeh praised Ko’s physical condition and said that it would take people Ko’s age at least six months of training before they would be able to cycle safely over such a long distance.
“He is in good shape,” Yeh said.
Separately yesterday, Taiwan Nation Alliance convener Yao Chia-wen （姚嘉文） said at a 228 memorial event that he “regretted” Ko’s decision not to attend the event and was “dissatisfied.”
Yao said there was “no way to approve” of Ko’s reason for not attending, which Yao said was because Ko’s mother, Ho Jui-ying （何瑞英）, had urged Ko not to talk about the incident every year.
Similar remarks have been made by people since the beginning of the movement to have the day declared a national day of remembrance, Yao said, adding that those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it.
Additional reporting by Abraham Gerber
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
