Preparations Ripe For Tour De Central Celebes

JAKARTA, Nov 2 (Antara) - Preparations are now ripe for the first ever international cycling race of Tour de Central Celebes (TdCC) in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi from November 6-8, 2017. Endowed with many beautiful nature and marine tourist attractions, the provincial government has made the preparations ripe for the TdCC in its effort to attract as many domestic and foreign tourists as possible. All stakeholders and the provincial government have done a good coordination by creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the TdCC participants and tourists who will come to Central Sulawesi. In addition, the local community has also been encouraged to be prepared to support the success of the international cycling race event in the province. Some 120 cyclists from 30 countries will participate in the TdCC 2017, and during the race, they will enjoy art and cultural performances, traditional culinary delight, and the beautiful scenery of Tomini Bay. The governor of Central Sulawesi expressed belief that the number of TdCC participants from abroad will increase in the coming years. The TdCC international cycling race will cover a total distance of 487 kilometers and pass through the districts of Tojo Unauna, Poso, Parigi Moutong, Sigi, and the city of Palu. A total of 15 teams, comprising 10 teams from 30 countries in the world and five teams from Indonesia, will participate in the TdCC international cycling race. Hence, Central Sulawesi police are committed to ensure the safety and smoothness of the Tour de Central Celebes, and therefore, the TdCC participants and guests from abroad should not hesitate and worry about visiting Central Sulawesi. "No need for cyclists and tourists from abroad to hesitate and worried about visiting Central Sulawesi because it is a safe and peaceful province in Indonesia," local Police spokesman Adjunct Senior Commissioner Hari Suprapto remarked in the provincial city of Palu. Central Sulawesi is safe and conducive for the TdCC, but Suprapto noted that the police will remain vigilant to anticipate against unexpected possibilities by mobilizing all the potential to ensure the success of this international cycling race. According to Suprapto, the Central Sulawesi Police had set up security plans in all areas covered by TdCC route, namely Tojo Unauna, Poso, Parigi Moutong, Sigi, Donggala, and Palu. Around 1,490 security personnel will be deployed to secure the international cycling race. "Moreover, some of TdCC routes are the area of Operation Tinombela 2017, so there is a need for stricter security before and during the implementation of race to avoid and anticipate terror acts that might be committed by certain groups," he said. Operation Tinombela, is being conducted jointly in Poso, Central Sulawesi, by the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and Defense Forces (TNI) to capture and eliminate the East Indonesia Muhajidin (MIT) terrorist group. Police Chief of the Operations Division Assistant Inspector General M. Iriawan remarked in Poso that Operation Tinombala 2017 has again been extended for the next three months until Dec 29. Poso, a mountainous district of Central Sulawesi Province, was in the past considered an extremist hotbed and a series of bloody conflicts, but now the district is safe and conducive for the Tour de Central Celebes. Indonesia's most wanted militant Abu Wardah Santoso in the past several years ran a radical training camp in Poso, where a series of conflicts had killed a lot of people at the time. Santoso was linked to a number of deadly attacks against police officers and civilians, but then he was killed with two other militants in a shootout with security forces in July 2016. Since then, the security situation in Poso has gradually returned to normal, and the area is increasingly safe and conducive for tourist visits, including the implementation the international cycling race of TdCC. So, when passing through the Poso District, the participants of the cycling race should not worry about the security situation, or their safety. Matindas J. Rumambi, a member of the Provincial Legislative Assembly, remarked in Palu that the TdCC will boost the confidence of foreign tourists in Poso District. Rumambi believes that the international cycling race, whose participants are mostly foreign citizens, will boost Poso's image at the international level. "The government and people of Central Sulawesi are pinning high hopes on the event, so that Poso's image would improve at the international level," he said. Rumambi expressed belief that the TdCC international cycling race would boost international confidence, so foreign tourists would no longer feel apprehensive to visit the area. "I am optimistic that in future, after this event ends and the foreign participants return to their country, they would promote the beautiful panoramic views of Central Sulawesi and the security situation in the region to their friends," Rumambi said. Thus, increasingly more number of foreign tourists would visit Central Sulawesi, including Poso District, which has several interesting tourist attractions. In addition to boosting international trust, the TdCC is expected to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the province in the years to come. Rumambi is optimistic that the international cycling race of Tour de Central Celebes will boost foreign tourist arrivals. "We positively welcome and highly laud Governor Longki Djanggola who has initiated this international cycling race," Rumambi remarked. According to Rumambi, the activity needs to be supported by all parties, including the community, as most of the participants are from various countries. "The participants and guests of TdCC from abroad actually want to see firsthand our area that has several interesting and unique tourist attractions," he affirmed. Hence, the government and public should welcome and ensure the success of the first-ever international cycling race that will pass through four districts and a city in Central Sulawesi. Hence, Rumambi appealed to the local government and society, including tourism businessmen in Central Sulawesi, to utilize this opportunity well to increase the number of tourist arrivals. In the meantime, Central Sulawesi Transportation Office Chief Abdul Haris Renggah said all related parties will prioritize, supervise, and secure the pathways to be passed by the TdCC participants. "We have instructed the transportation offices in several districts and cities in Central Sulawesi to give full attention to the routes that will be passed by the participants," he remarked. According to Renggah, all related parties have coordinated to secure the routes, so that the TdCC participants do not experience obstacles.