The 2008 Speedy Tour de Indonesia kicks off in Jakarta on Sunday, with about 90 cyclists from 7 foreign teams and 10 local teams.  Top prize is $100,000.  The cyclists will travel a 1,072 miles from Jakarta to Bali in 12 stages.

Event director Sofian Ruzian said this year’s race will challenge riders with more demanding routes.  "The riders will go through stages with steeper slopes, such as the hilly Alas Roban and Gombel region in Central Java, and Kintamani in Bali," Sofian said at a news conference in Jakarta.  The organizers plan to use an "open-close" arrangement for the traffic, because the road conditions won’t allow to use closed-routes.

More at the Jakarta Post