Tour de Bintan Cycling Race Event Returns after Four Years of Absence

JAKARTA - Tour de Bintan, an iconic international cycling event on Bintan Island that has been present since 2009, will now be held again after not being held for four years.

The prestigious race will take place at Plaza Lagoi, Bintan Resorts, Bintan, Riau Islands, on August 21-23, 2026. The event will open up opportunities for sports and cycling enthusiasts at various levels of ability.

Chief Operating Officer of Bintan Resorts, Abdul Wahab, said that 2026 will mark the transformation of Tour de Bintan, especially the visual identity of the new logo which looks fresher, dynamic, and expressive.

"This logo update will be the beginning of a new round of the Tour de Bintan event with Bintan Island as the destination and host of the event," he said in a press conference held in Jakarta.

Tour de Bintan is one of the flagship events of the region which has proven for years to be able to attract domestic and international tourists to Bintan Island.

This event has strategic value in expanding Bintan Island's exposure to the international market, reflecting the region's readiness to host international events, and strengthening the image of Bintan Island as an active lifestyle and leisure destination through collaboration between the Government, the private sector, and the sports community.

The Regional Secretary of Bintan Regency, Ronny Kartika, said that the event is expected to have a very large multiplier effect on the economy for the region due to the presence of racers, crews, and their families.

"Hopefully, with this event, it can help boost economic growth and competitiveness at the regional level. So, we are not only selling sports tourism, but our MSMEs will definitely be affected," he said.

One of the new highlights introduced this year is the UCI 1.2 Point Race. UCI Point Race is an official cycling race registered with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which allows riders to earn points for international rankings based on their race results.

In addition, this event also presents various categories of races designed to accommodate cyclists with different levels of ability and preferences.

The category consists of a very challenging professional competition, namely the Gran Fondo Classic 150 kilometers with its long-distance route, the Gran Fondo Century 100 kilometers, the Gran Fondo Challenge 70 kilometers, the Gran Fondo Discovery 45 kilometers, and the Individual Time Trial (ITT) 17 kilometers.

The Main Coordinator of the Tour de Bintan, Raja Azmizal Usman, emphasized that in terms of safety, the organizers of the Tour de Bintan will follow the safety standards of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

"So, all race management will follow the UCI standard. So, one of the standards in the UCI is the safety manager who will ensure that the safety aspects of the rider are well maintained," he said.

The implementation of the Tour de Bintan received full support from Bintan Regency, Riau Islands Province, the Ministry of Tourism, and UCI, and the International Cycling Federation (ICF). The organizers also enlisted Trifactor as a partner.

The founder of Trifactor, Elvin Ting, admitted that they were proud to be able to work with Bintan Resorts to bring back the Tour de Bintan.

"This partnership reflects our shared commitment to promoting this sport and bringing together the cycling community. Together, we strive to bring a world-class racing experience with the backdrop of the beauty of Bintan Resorts destinations," said Elvin.

For accessibility to the event location, participants can take a direct flight from Jakarta to Tanjung Pinang or a transit flight via Batam.

Meanwhile, participants from Singapore can head to Bintan Resorts via a direct ferry service from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal in Bintan Resorts.

The previous edition of the Tour de Bintan was noted for always attracting many participants. In the 2017 edition, the event was attended by 962 participants, the following year there were 1,050 participants, then 1,087 in 2019, and 603 participants in the last edition of 2022.