Images: Sonoko Tanaka

2005 was a pivotal year for professional cycling. It was the year the UCI introduced the concept of the Continental Circuits – the division of the global cycling calendar into five distinct geographic regions – of which Asia would be a slice. Isolation and development were both possible outcomes; nobody could truly have known. The newly-formed UCI AsiaTour came alive in September 2005 with Iran’s Tour of Milad du Nour.

Several months earlier, in May 2005, another equally significant event occurred when the ninth edition of the Tour of Japan was run; the introduction of Mt Fuji.  Despite a compact length of 11.4 kilometres, the average 9.97% gradient – with patches at 22% – and 1,137 meter elevation gain was a race game-changer; notwithstanding the fact that incorporating Mt Fuji into a pro cycling event was, in and of itself, a stroke of marketing brilliance guaranteed to attract interest from cycling fans and laypeople alike.

Possibly the most least written-about aspect of the Mount Fuji stage, and one of the elements that makes it so exquisitely sadistic, is the fact riders first warm up on trainers, ride a 2.1km neutral section, then come to a halt so they can begin the stage from a standing start:

Until Dyball’s incredible performance today, the previous record for this climb was held by Spain’s Sergio Pardilla Bellón, who recorded 40:21 on his way to winning to 2009 Tour of Japan. Fortunato Baliani came close to toppling that last year, but came up short by a mere two seconds.

Vini Fantini initially led the peloton before a select group spirited away from the peloton less than halfway into the stage. This group comprised Dyball and Nathan Earle (both of Huon Salmon – Genesys Wealth), Darren Lapthorne (Drapac), Baliani, Arredondo and Simone Compagnaro (all Team Nippo – De Rosa), Thomas Lebas and Damien Monier (Bridgestone Anchor).

After five kilometres, as expected, Arredondo and Baliani were off up the road – but unlike last year, they had Dyball for company. The former U23 Australian National Road Cycling Champion was at this stage 15″ in arrears, but he held this gap – much to the consternation of Baliani, who repeatedly turned to look back at his travelling companion –  before eventually overtaking a struggling Arredondo.

With three kilometres remaining, Dyball had reduced the gap further to 10″, whilst Monier had also found the strength to move into third; a five second gap separating him and Arredondo. Inside the final kilometre, Dyball caught Baliani’s wheel and the Italian found himself in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment; he was the mouse, his heart beating an average 180bpm. With 500 metres between them and the finish line, Dyball finally pounced; though Baliani was able to rise from his saddle in response, the required power never came. Rounding the tight apex of the final right-hand corner, Dyball afforded himself a last check over his left shoulder before meeting his destiny. After punching his right fist skyward, his hand fell immediately back to stop his computer which, if fired simultaneously with the starter’s gun, would read 39:47.

FUJISAN HONOUR ROLL
2005: Andrey Mizourov (KAZ) 40:27
2006: John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) 40:56
2007: Francesco Masciarelli (ITA) 41:38
2008: Vincenzo Garofalo (ITA) 43:01
2009: Sergio Pardilla Bellón (ESP) 40:21
2010: Cristiano Salerno (ITA) 40:49*
2011: NO RACE
2012: Fortunato Baliani (ITA) 40:23
2013: Ben Dyball (AUS) 39:47
[*2010 marked the start of the Mt Fuji stage as a mass-start hill climb, where it had previously been an ITT.]

LEADERBOARD
Individual General Classification (Green jersey): Fortunato Baliani (Team Nippo – De Rosa)
Points Classification (Blue jersey): Pierpaolo De Negri (Vini Fantini – Selle Italia)
King of the Mountains Classification (Red jersey): Davide Viganò (Lampre-Merida)
Best Young Rider Classification (White Jersey): Julián David Arredondo (Team Nippo – De Rosa)
Teams General Classification: Team Nippo – De Rosa

INSIGHT FROM THE PELOTON

Ryota Nishizono (Champion System) | 11th in today’s stage; 6th on GC at 3’48″

“I have to admit I was a bit nervous before today’s queen stage. This time last year I awoke with fever. I was so relieved to wake up today and confirm that my body was normal. But I also felt different; even scrambled eggs, something so routine and consistent, tasted different.

 A tense morning.

Preparation for an 11-kilometer hill climb is almost the same as for a time trial. The tension lifted as my focus shifted to processing each step. I began to relax as I felt my muscles releasing.

From the gun, the race was hard. My strategy was as follows:

1. Follow the front group, if possible, until halfway
2. After the halfway point, focus on my power output and watch out for the other GC guys

The numbers I followed were based on the benchmarks set while training. I followed them fairly well, but the last four kilometers were unbelievably hard.

I want to add more, but it is time to sleep – there is still another hard day in Shuzenji…”

For Ryota Nishizono, starting stage four in good health was already a massive improvement from last year.

Masaki Gunji (Utsunomiya Blitzen) feels the burn. Utsunomiya Blitzen is possibly the most well-promoted and visible UCI Continental team in Japan.

Aisan Racing’s Masakazu Ito – stage-winner at last year’s Tour de Singkarak, and 10th overall at the 2013 Tour de Taiwan in March. He finished in 28th today, 5’45″ behind Ben Dyball.

Lampre-Merida’s Davide Viganò still leads the KOM classification despite finishing 26th in today’s stage.

Ryota urges himself upwards.

After the stage, Ryota tweeted “I was nearly dead final 4km but one thing I bear in mind “keep fighting!”. He is now 6th in GC.

Ben Dyball, looking slightly unsure about being the centre of attention.

Julián David Arredondo, pictured in the white jersey of Best Young Rider, may have fallen to fourth today but, even if that’s where he stays, he has had a remarkable year. The best may still be yet to come.

STAGE 4 RESULTS

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE FOUR

Look like a familiar roadside scene at the races, Aussies?

Images: Sonoko Tanaka

22.5%. This was the percentage of riders that started this stage last year, but failed to finish – and a figure that was surpassed today. Team Nippo – De Rosa, who tore the field apart last year, did not conjure up a new strategy; instead, they demonstrated an almost audacious conviction, ceteris paribus, that their combined strength would be superior. Indeed, today’s morale-crushing display of raw power by Nippo fractured the peloton, but not to the extent team manager Hiroshi Daimon would have liked.

So, Arredondo and Baliani now find themselves once again in pole position with three stages remaining, but here’s a fact: after last year’s fourth stage – and remember the 2013 parcours is an exact copy of 2012 – the Nippo pair did not take any significant further time out of their rivals. Considering the proximity of their rivals – though small in number – victory is anything but assured, unless a further margin is yielded in Friday’s Mount Fuji stage. Expect fireworks.

LEADERBOARD
Individual General Classification (Green jersey): Julián David Arredondo (Team Nippo – De Rosa)
Points Classification (Blue jersey): Pierpaolo De Negri (Vini Fantini – Selle Italia)
King of the Mountains Classification (Red jersey): Davide Viganò (Lampre-Merida)
Best Young Rider Classification (White Jersey): Robbie Hucker (Drapac Cycling)
Teams General Classification: Team Nippo – De Rosa

INSIGHT FROM THE PELOTON

Ryota Nishizono (Champion System) | 7th in today’s stage; 4th on GC at 0’24″

“Today, the real battle for GC began. The battlefield was a hilly circuit in Iida, Nagano prefecture, which is located about 100 kilometers from the Winter Olympic grounds. On the whole, I focused only on GC, not on the stage win; perhaps they appear alike, but they are actually totally different. After examining other team’s playing cards, I would need to gamble to win the stage. I did not gamble; instead, I took a conservative route.

From the beginning, the race was very intense; especially on the second and fourth hills where my power meter hit almost 400W over five minutes. It seemed every rider, especially those who had no opportunity if they stayed in the peloton, tried to get in a break. On this course, their chances of surviving were good, too. The peloton changed its pace – on the fifth climb, my average was only 270W – often and riders who could not bear it dropped off. However, once you get in a break, you can ride at an even pace. 

In the middle of the race, the Nippo guys gathered at the front, evidently to attack on the next hill. We noticed, but they set a fast pace, which made positioning not so easy. My great teammate (Mart) Ojavee took me to the front so I could prepare well. As expected, the next hill was a mess and I hit over 420W. I got through this hard time and the peloton got together again. One important thing; the Italians of Nippo lost their assistance, so they had difficulty to be more aggressive. I was strongly assisted by Craig (Butler) and Adiq (Othman), so I could save my precious energy.

After that, Bridgestone took the lead of the race until 2 laps to go; they had five riders in the peloton. They exhausted themselves on the hill and Thomas (Lebas, from Bridgestone Anchor team), my former teammate, attacked. Only about 10 riders survived after this attack. Bridgestone was the only team which competed with the Nippo guys in an organized way.

 With one lap remaining, we dashed into the last climb. Arredondo attacked and a Vini Fantini rider (Cristiano Monguzzi) followed him. Baliani also flew away. Thomas, Lapthorn (Drapac), and I made a chase group. Cresting the hill, we were able to see the escapees in front. It was a bit different from last year, when the Nippo guys had been just too strong. We managed to keep the loss to a minimum: 20 seconds. Not bad. 

Today, I think Nippo became aggressive too early; they thought the same tactic as last year was possible, but other riders had prepared well with this in mind. The next stop is Mt. Fuji. Only uphill. Only 11km, but deadly hard.”

After starting the day in the leader’s green jersey, KSPO’s Sung Baek Park would go on to lose almost 18 minutes; falling utterly out of GC contention.

The beginning of the end for 23.9% of the field.

Champion System’s Ryota Nishizono gets stronger every year. Just what is he capable of in 2013?

Fortunato Baliani checks in on an emotional Hideto Nakane. Nakane DNF’d after suffering mechanical problems in the early moments of the tough stage.

De Negri, Viagnò and Arredondo awaiting the presentation of their respective jerseys in familiar company.

STAGE 3 RESULTS

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE THREE

Images: Sonoko Tanaka

28-year old Park, a former talented track-cyclist-turned-rouleur, who last year won his second Tour de Korea title, simply outpaced Lampre’s Max Richeze – last year a member of Nippo, the 2012 Tour of Japan winning team – in a sprint finish that even many informed fans might have concluded was Lampre’s for the taking. Had Richeze won the stage, it would have been a case of déjà vu - considering this year’s parcours is unchanged from 2012.

The theme of the stage was, overall, of a very Korean nature, with Champion System’s Chan Jae Jang and KSPO’s Ji Min Jung holding court for the majority of the stage as a two-man breakaway which, in the process of their considerable effort, swallowed the available KOM and intermediate sprints. For his efforts, Jang claimed the first KOM jersey by a handsome margin, with Jung – a young and talented rider who this year placed second behing Blanco’s Tom Leezer in stage six of the hors catégorie Tour de Langkawi – in the KOM classification overall.

Tomorrow’s third stage heads into properly hilly territory, which may later prove to be the moment the race was won. Check out the stage highlights, then read guest writer and Champion System pro, Ryota Nishizono’s, account below.

LEADERBOARD
Individual General Classification (Green jersey): Sung Baek Park (KSPO)
Points Classification (Blue jersey): Sung Baek Park (KSPO)
King of the Mountains Classification (Red jersey): Chan Jae Jang (Champion System Pro Cycling)
Best Young Rider Classification (White Jersey): Andrea Francesco Palini (Lampre-Merida)
Teams General Classification: Aisan Racing Team

INSIGHT FROM THE PELOTON

Ryota Nishizono (Champion System) | 26th in today’s stage; 14th on GC at 0’14″

“Considering every aspect of today’s race, we thought the finale would be sprinting. However, one climb, which is located 2km from the finish, and a technical section after the climb makes this course difficult. The beginning part was intense and many riders, especially locals, tried to get in the break but until the climb nobody was successful. My teammate, Chan Jae (Jang) bravely attacked on the climb and got away with another rider (Ji Min Jung, KSPO) who is also from Korea, so it was easy for them to cooperate. Chan Jae took all the mountain points and his break companion took sprint points. In the peloton, I could spend calm time and catch up with Japanese friends since I have not met them since transferring to Champion System this year. 

In the middle part, Chan Jae got a 10 minute lead, but the sprinters teams reduced the gap little by little. Within the final two laps, they caught Chan Jae. The last part was harsh. Everybody tried to go. We stuck together and defended our position. At the beginning of the climb, I was in the 6th or 7th position. Soon after getting into the climb, Arredondo (Team Nippo – De Rosa) attacked strongly and only four guys remained; Arredondo, two Vini Fantini guys, and me. One Vini Fantini guy gave up his chase and I could not fill the gap. At the top, the gap was about a few seconds. I could not catch them. So I fell back to the peloton, passed through the technical section and sprinted not to lose time.

After finishing, I noticed how hot it was (30°C); I drunk a lot of water. The mountain stages begin tomorrow.”

Team Nippo – De Rosa tucks into a good breakfast before the longest stage of the 2013 Tour of Japan.

I love this image by Sonoko, especially the elderly lady with the side-turned baseball cap leaving the throng of spectators at the race start, and happily grasping her camera – perhaps after getting the perfect shot of her favourite rider.

Vini Fantini and Drapac riders getting a little down-time before the starter’s gun fires.

Ji Min Jung leading Chan Jae Jang further into the pair’s escape.

No rush lads, Chan Jae has already taken all of the points…

Champion System’s Chan Jae Jang gets a wipe-down after a long, hot, stage.

Lampre’s Andrea Francesco Palini might also be wondering how on earth he is going to get that lantern back to italy.

Psy, I mean Chan Jae Jang, and Sung Baek Park hanging out.

STAGE 2 RESULTS

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE TWO

TOUR OF IRAN BACKGROUNDER
Firstly, if you’re still confused about the ‘Azerbaijan’ part of that intro, please refer to last year’s preview, as the name ‘Azerbaijan Tour’ can now be construed as belonging to two different races (see second paragraph). In summary though, the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan lies at the northwest of Iran, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Whereas Iran is affiliated to the Asian Cycling Confederation, the Azerbaijan National Cycling Federation is affiliated to the European Cycling Confederation.

As most people will now be aware, a ‘Tour de Azerbaijan‘ appeared on the UCI EuropeTour (ranked 2.2) earlier this month. In 2012, the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation registered a U23 UCI EuropeTour stage race under the name ‘Haydar Aliyev Anniversary Tour’ (founder of the Republic of Azerbaijan and father of current President Ilham Aliyev) which – in retrospect given that race no longer exists – could be viewed as an experimental platform which launched this year’s Tour de Azerbaijan.

According to Cycling iQ’s sources, the Azerbaijan Federation lobbied the UCI hard in mid-2012 to reclaim the name ‘Azerbaijan’ for their new race. Though Iran’s Azerbaijan Tour and Azerbaijan’s tour of a similar name would be on separate Continental calendars (see above), Iran’s Cycling Federation was alledgedly asked to find another name. This certainly would have been a bitter pill to swallow, especially given the 2009 and 2010 editions of Iran’s International Azerbaijan Tour ventured into the Republic of Azerbaijan as a coming-together of the two countries through the spirit of sport.

WEATHER
Temperatures would commonly range between 10-30°C at this time of year, with altitude also tempering the maximums as the week progresses. The forecast for the race start in Tabriz is for rain and a high of 22°C.

Images: Sonoko Tanaka

I’m racing with a ProContinental team on home soil this month. I could not have thought of this situation one year ago. I want to do my best in every race, so I don’t feel a special type of pressure just because I’m racing here in Japan.

Our team is registered in China, but I don’t feel like it’s a “Chinese” team. The team culture is not one country’s culture. It’s not French-style, Italian-style, Spanish-style… it’s global style. It’s very neutral, so I don’t feel like it’s “different”. Of course, recently some of our home countries – Japan, Korea, China – have problems politically, but sports are a different story. We never talk about the political problems; we are cyclists, good friends and we help each other in races.

I was very surprised that top riders like Matt (Brammeier, ex-OPQS/HTC) and Chad (Beyer, ex-BMC) are very friendly. I always thought top riders were a bit, well, difficult. They are surprisingly friendly. I always try to speak to them in English and I think they value my attitude. I have a very good relationship with them. There is a good harmony in the team. Some of us lack the experience, but riders like Bobby (Traksel) and Matt tell us how to behave in the European peloton. It’s great for us. We can show up in big races like the Flanders classics and Giro del Trentino [CiQ: Ryota finished 57^th on GC] – a very high level – and we can see directly the top riders like Sagan or Gilbert. Sure, it’s very hard racing but, in some parts, we can compete.

At the first 2013 Champion System Pro Cycling Team training camp, Agoura Hills, California. Image courtesy of VeloImages (www.veloimages.com)

I finished several big races in Europe and I can have a much better experience than at a continental-level UCI2.2 or 1.2 race. In higher-class races, it is very decent racing. By that I mean there are no crazy attacks or crazy, dangerous riding; the riders in Europe know what job they need to do and they take no unnecessary risks. It’s much better to ride the higher-category races in Europe. Whether the style of racing in the UCI AsiaTour becomes calmer depends on how many riders go to Europe to race and then return to race in Asia.

I heard the news about Miguel Ubeto Aponte [CiQ: the Lampre-Merida rider from Venezuela was originally on the Tour of Japan start list, but was provisionally suspended last week for an Adverse Analytical Finding of GW1516 ] from my Directeur Sportif. After that moment, I read Tyler Hamilton’s ‘The Secret Race’ and I had very complex feelings. There’s a gradation of sin. Some riders are just f—–s who commit crimes, but even “good” guys turn to doping. Before reading Hamilton’s book, I thought he was a f—–g bad guy before reading the book, but I can also see there is a gradation of criminality. I don’t know how bad the Lampre guy is, so I won’t try to distinguish him from others. I want to read more detail before I make any further comments about him personally.

I feel that at the highest level of cycling, the riders are cleaner. At Trentino, I felt the strength of the top riders, like Nibali, or Santambrogio. Sure they are strong, but I don’t feel like they are “space beings”. I think in the old days, the doped riders were extra-terrestrial. In Nibali’s case, I feel like he has worked very hard, but he is also a human being. You can see that the top guys also get tired and are just trying to do the best job, so surely the peloton is getting cleaner. But, I was also at the Tour du Maroc last year, where I saw some space beings. One of them was Ivailo Gabrovsky (Konya Torku Seker Sport). After Maroc, he went to the Tour of Turkey, which he won, but then he was caught for doping. So, I believe doping is still happening. One of the big questions is why some strong riders from the AsiaTour don’t go to the ProTour…

Ryota before the start of the 2012 Tour of Japan’s last stage. Behind the broad and easy smile is a total disciplinarian with an intelligence and determination that will see him go far.

In last year’s Tour of Japan, the biggest problem was I got a fever on the morning of the Mt Fuji stage. Even surviving was so hard for me that day. Luckily, I recovered overnight and I could work for my team leader, my former team-mate from Bridgestone Anchor, who is also racing this year. Last year, spring races were very hard and it was difficult to focus on the Tour of Japan. I was tired when I arrived. Compared to last year, I have a very relaxed schedule, almost one month from Trentino.

Statistically, my power data shows my form is getting better. I graduated in Engineering Mathematics from the technical department at University of Tokyo [CiQ: Ryota wrote his thesis on computer architecture], so I know the basics of physics and statistics. I love researching sports science topics, and also using power meters because it is the best way to objectively evaluate performance and control my training. Sometimes it’s very hard, because numbers are very honest – you can’t just stop when you’re feeling tired.

I have very good coaches; Katsuyuki Kakinoki (柿木 克之), who is a pioneer in Japanese power training and his brother Takayuki (柿木 孝之), who is also a former professional cyclist and Japanese National ITT champion. Dr Katsuyuki’s major is in Chemical Engineering [CiQ: he also wrote a book on cycling]. Takayuki makes my training schedule but Katsuyuki also often gives me advice.

It’s a little bit of a secret (laughing), but I can produce around 378 watts for 20 minutes; so almost 6 W/kg. This is enough for this (AsiaTour) level and ProContinental level. I heard Nibali and other top riders can produce this power:weight ratio for 40 minutes in the last part of a race. When I’m relatively fresh, I can produce this for 20 minutes, so the level of top riders is very high! My maximum power is very poor (laughs), just 1,100 watts. My weight is between 63-64 kilograms. I’m definitely an all-rounder who likes time-trialling.

Sometimes, I’m called Arashiro or Doi in the European races! But, I try to help by saying, “No, I’m Nishizono”! (laughs). I don’t know why, but at least they notice I’m Japanese! Of course, cycling isn’t a major sport in Japan; people in the local cycling world know me, but only the bike shop guys in the small town I’m from recognize me when I’m at home.

It’s a very special feeling to wear the National Champion jersey. At the same time I feel I have to show the strength of Japanese riders, especially in the European races. If I make a poor result, other people may think Japanese riders are weak time-triallists, so I am also fighting for the reputation of Japanese riders.

Images: Sonoko Tanaka

Last year’s winner, Fortunato Baliani (Team Nippo – De Rosa), registered a solid, but not spectacular, performance, checking in 15″ behind Nishitani. KSPO’s Joon yong Seo, a stage-winner in last year’s Tour of Thailand, finished runner-up, with Nishitani’s teammate of eight years, Kazuhiro Mori, in third. The combined performance of Aisan’s riders was enough to elevate the Nagoya-based team – managed by Fumiyuki Beppu’s older brother, Takumi – into first place amongst the team rankings.

LEADERBOARD
Individual General Classification (Green jersey): Taiji Nishitani (Aisan Racing Team)
Points Classification (Blue jersey): Taiji Nishitani (Aisan Racing Team)
King of the Mountains Classification (Red jersey): N/A
Best Young Rider Classification (White Jersey): Joon yong Seo (KSPO)
Teams General Classification: Aisan Racing Team

INSIGHT FROM THE PELOTON

Ryota Nishizono (Champion System) | 13th in today’s stage; 13th on GC at 0’09″

“Nippo broke the peloton in the third stage last year so, until then, it’s important for GC contenders, like me and Adiq (Othman), not to lose time. Adiq’s condition is relatively good, I think. Of course, we will do our best at the Mt Fuji stage this year. Since last year, the Shuzenji stage [CiQ: Stage 5, held at the Continental Cycling Center in Shizuoka Prefecture] is 50 kilometres longer than in the past. It’s a big difference, because it’s a very hard stage. Even after 90 kilometres, the peloton is almost broken. Every year, 10-20 riders don’t start the next day. It’s a very aggressive day. It’s difficult to beat the Nippo guys and some of the pure climbers up Mt Fuji, but we have a chance in Shuzenji to get the time back.

I’ve looked at several riders in Lampre and Vini Fantini, but not many of them are climbers; most of them are classics riders, sprinters or rouleurs. Looking at their recent results and from my experience, Nippo may again take control of this race, especially at Mt Fuji. According to my feeling at Trentino and last year’s experience, (Julián) Arredondo is stronger than the average ProTour climbers. You could see this at Langkawi; he beat every ProTour rider, so even this year we have to watch out for Nippo. From Drapac, Darren Lapthorne looks strong, I think. But only Nippo has three cards to play: Arredondo, Baliani and Compagnaro.”

Tomorrow is a transfer day, with the race convoy heading to Mino, Gifu Prefecture, approximately 250km to the northeast of Sakai. At time of writing, fair weather is expected, with temperatures forecast to be between 17-29°C.

Reigning Japan National ITT Champion, Ryota Nishizono, gets some face-time with local media.

Two of South Korea’s biggest road cycling talents, Chan jae Jang (Champion System Pro Cycling) and Sung baek Park (KSPO) catch up.

As always, the morning featured a criterium – which does not count towards the Tour of Japan classification – which was watched by an estimated 61,000 spectators.

Lampre-Merida, the sole ProTeam in the Tour of Japan – newly upgraded to 2.1 status this year – gave the organizer some bang for its buck in the criterium.

Apprehensive: Craig Lewis tentatively opens the door of his team’s car. The rain stayed, but at least the temperatures were spring-like.

Julián Arredondo (Team Nippo – De Rosa) studies the start list

A sport for young and old. Now get those clap sticks clapping!

Quite a wet day, eh mate? Drapac Cycling’s Thomas Palmer finished in 17th, 10″ behind Nishitani.

Joon yong Seo riding into 2nd place.

Kazuhiro Mori blasts off. He would finish third overall a mere three minutes and thirty-one seconds later.

Kohei Uchima, 4th placed overall after today’s stage.

Does anyone have a photo of Taiji Nishitani sans smile? One of the most consistently-happy guys in the peloton -and for especially good reason today.

The team to beat: Hideto Nakane, Julián Arredondo, Fortunato Baliani, Kohei Uchima, Simone Compagnaro, Shinichi “The Legend” Fukushima

STAGE 1 RESULTS

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE

BACKGROUNDER
First run in 2001, the Tour de Korea has a lot going for it; not least of which is direct backing from the South Korean government. With its USD200,000 overall prize purse, aerial media coverage, first-rate traffic enforcement and opening/closing ceremonies that probably wouldn’t look out of place at the Olympics, it is possibly one of the most well-resourced UCI2.2 races anywhere in the world.

In terms of contribution to the pro cycling scene, South Korea has always ranked highly – after China and Japan, respectively – in terms of the number of riders racing for UCI professional cycling teams. However, this significant representation remained purely at a UCI Continental until late last year, when Chanjae Jang signed with Chinese ProContinental squad Champion System Pro Cycling. Indeed, one of the problems for aspiring riders from the PRK has been a lack of exposure to international racing when compared to their peers from China and Japan [Note: graph below is from the 2012 season; a 2013 update will be made next month.]

Click on image to jump to related post: “Pro Cycling: how far would you go? | Asia”

28 year-old Sung Baek Park (KSPO) remains the only South Korean to have won the Tour de Korea (in 2007 and 2012) since it gained UCI2.2 status as part of the then newly-formed UCI AsiaTour in 2005.

A full report of last year’s race can be found here

ON ARRIVAL
On disembarkation, the pro’s arriving into Seoul will immediately notice two things; their bags will probably arrive on the baggage carousel before they do (even after a brisk immigrations process), and connection with the outside world will be so fast they will need to handle their smartphones with oven gloves (Korea completed the rollout of its nationwide LTE network in mid-2012).

There is an energy and night-life to Seoul (population 10.5 million) that could be overwhelming to those riders who live in smaller towns, but it won’t be long before they are amongst the parks, rivers and lakes of the region’s northeast. Clean, ultra-modern, efficient and relatively unspoilt, South Korea is a comfortable place to be a visiting pro cyclist – but not in the harsh winter.

WEATHER
Previously held in the month of April, when days are pleasant and dry, if not slightly on the chilly side, the Tour de Korea (or ‘TdK’ to abbreviate) will this year take place in summer. Higher humidity will be a factor, and daytime temperatures can reach 30-35°C. Historically, the Monsoon season officially starts in July, so torrential downpours will hopefully not be on the radar this early.

DIFFICULTY
No single stage of last year’s race contained any climbs in excess of 500 meters. Well, what a difference a year makes! Pure sprinters will have to leave their GC ambitions at home, whilst pure climbers can expect to plummet down the general classification in stage five, should their TT form not be dialled.

TEAMS BREAKDOWN
Teams must have a minimum of four, and maximum of six, riders and four officials. The following list is provisonal; both Team 3M and Kazakhstan’s National Team are yet to confirm their participation. [Note: a full start list of riders and race picks will be added once available]

LEADER’S JERSEYS
Four jerseys will be awarded at the conclusion of each stage:

Leader of General Classification – Yellow
Leader of Points Classification – Blue
Leader of King of the Mountains (KOM) Classification – Polka Dot
Leader of Young Rider Classification – White

PRIZE MONEY
This year’s overall purse of KRW200,000,000 (USD179,000) has fallen by USD20,000 when compared to last year, but Tour de Korea remains the richest UCI2.2 race on the AsiaTour. Here’s the breakdown:

Overall winner (individual) = KRW12,000,000 (USD10,700)
Overall team = KRW10,500,000 (USD9,400)
Overall KOM = KRW4,000,000 (USD3,600)
Overall Points = KRW4,000,000 (USD3,600)
Overall Young Rider = KRW4,000,000 (USD3,600)
Stage winner = KRW4,000,000 (USD3,600)

MEDIA OUTREACH
Still in development, the official Tour de Korea website will be primed for increased multi-media content delivery compared to last year. Speaking of which, last year’s site was not fully ready to go until hours before the first stage got underway, and the deployment timeline of features on the 2013 version is regrettably consistent with this. However, things happen fast in South Korea, so keep checking back in the days leading up to the race.

The Tour de Korea is also on Facebook and Twitter. Similar to this year’s Tour de Taiwan, TdK has split its target audience, so Facebook updates will be predominantly written in Korean, whilst Twitter updates will be predominantly written in English. Malaysian photographer Aaron Lee is once again being flown in by KSPO (TdK organizer and owner of the eponymous team) to provide official images. Daily stage reports, with full results, images, interviews and other snippets will be posted here.

Followers of Cycling iQ’s Twitter feed may also recall there was a live stream of the final stage from Korea’s Broadcasting Service last year. This post will be updated if, and when, such live streams are discovered/announced.

Finally, Cycling iQ can confirm a professional television crew has been commissioned to create daily highlights packages, which will in turn be broadcast on the official website. This is a huge move in the right direction for UCI AsiaTour stage races, considering the almost unrivalled exposure this gives to sponsors, not to mention engagement with fans.

ROUTE MAP

STAGES AND PROFILES

Stage 1 | Cheonan – Muju 172.0km
Sunday, 9 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 2 | Muju – Gumi 138.1km
Monday, 10 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 3 | Gumi – Yeongju 165.2km
Tuesday, 11 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 4 | Yeongju – Chungju 156.0km
Wednesday, 12 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 5 | Chungju - Chungju (TTT) 25.5km
Thursday, 13 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 6 | Pyeongchang - Yangyang 184.7km
Friday, 14 June 2013 (starts 09:30 local time)

Stage 7 | Yangyang - Hongcheon 145.1km
Saturday, 15 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

Stage 8 | Hongcheon - Hanan 90.8km
Sunday, 16 June 2013 (starts 10:00 local time)

TOUR OF JAPAN BACKGROUNDER
First held in 1996, Tour of Japan is less a “tour” of Japan than a series of circuit races taking place in, or close to, major civic centers on the main island of Honshu. The race has followed a fairly consistent format over the years, though a couple of additions along the way, namely the iconic Mt Fuji hill climb (a feature of Tour of Japan since 2005) and a prologue (since 2010), have shifted the balance of power back towards all-rounders – but not so significantly that sprinters are pushed out of the GC game. The first edition was won by then-35 year old Frenchman Jean-Philippe Duracka, whilst Shinichi Fukushima, now riding for Team Nippo-De Rosa, is the only Japanese rider to have won, in 2004. A full report of last year’s race can be found here.

WEATHER
Japan can be very wet at this time of year though, historically, temperatures generally fall between 15-25°C in mid-spring. Humid and sticky conditions are also a feature of the southern part of Honshu island leading into summer. In any event, weather is such a mixed-bag at this time of year that four seasons in one day can be expected.

In pro cycling parlance, the neutral zone is a section of road which begins at the start line and leads the peloton to a point where the race officially gets underway. It usually lasts only a few minutes, and is perhaps the only time that riders are not under duress. This pretty much captures the spirit of the Neutral Zone – no pressure, no expectations and a brief moment for riders to have a little chat. All words are their own, though Cycling iQ has lent support in the form of spelling and grammar where needed.

Images: Mokhriz Aziz

I was born in Tabriz, Iran, on the sixth day of December, 1975. As a sixteen year old, I won some small bike races that were held in our school. I knew then I would love to be a cyclist. There are no other cyclists in my family. I have two boys; the first is five and the other is just one month old, but they are too small to choose any sport.

Every day, on average, I do between four and five hours training. I’m the coach for Tabriz Petrochemical Team, and I do my training with other teammates in the morning. I arrange the team’s road program, combining four days training with one day of rest. In my team, the most important point is teamwork; all riders have to work for the best result. Our country is in between 1400-1700 meters (elevation) so I look for hilly stage races where we can use our climbing talent to get good results. 

In 2012, after 20 years of cycling, I got a problem with the discs in my back. The doctors in Iran, and from other countries, said if I wanted to continue cycling then I must have an operation, but I chose not to and only rested. After nine months, I started cycling again. I feel so much different than before. I feel more motivated and younger than I was in 2012. Tour de Langkawi (March 2013) was my first professional race after my back injury. My form kept getting better, and I was much stronger in the last stage in Le Tour de Filipinas, which was hard and very hilly.

I used to look up to the big riders (winners of the Tour de France) because at that time I thought they were “only” sportsmen. Now I feel differently about the same “big star” riders, because I like to be a champion and winner without any doping. In my opinion, he who is the clean rider is the best rider. When I win a bike race, I am very happy because I never look to others; I just do the hard work on the bike. I like the UCI’s anti-doping program and I want to help make cycling clean in the world.

I can’t say who will be the next big rider from Asia, or Iran, but they will need to have a good head as well as a good body. I feel sorry for myself sometimes that, when I started cycling, Iranian cycling was completely undeveloped, there were not any international races in Iran and nobody from pro cycling knew about cyclists from Iran. Now we have 10 races in this part of Asia and everybody knows about Iran’s pro cyclists. Diplomatic matters still make being an Iranian pro cycling difficult; especially getting visas to travel. I think nobody in the world should mix sports and politics.

Most people in Iran do not use bicycles for lifestyle, because the city is dangerous for cyclists and Iran’s media doesn’t look out for cycling. I cannot say how many years I can still be a cyclist but, in my mind now, I do not want to leave it.

PALMARÈS snapshot
- Asian Games ITT champion (1998)
- Overall winner, Azerbaijan Tour (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010)
- Overall winner, International Presidency Turkey Tour (2002, 2006)
- Overall winner, Tour de Taiwan (2003)
- National ITT Champion (2006)
- National Road Cycling Champion (2007, 2008)
- Overall winner, Tour of Milad du Nour (2006, 2007, 2011)
- Overall winner, Kerman Tour (2006, 2008)
- Overall winner, Tour of East Java (2006, 2008)
- Overall winner, Tour of Indonesia (2008)
- Overall winner, Tour of Singkarak (2009, 2010)
- Overall winner, Tour of Iran (2009)
- Overall winner, Tour de Filipinas (2013)
- UCI AsiaTour individual champion (2006 & 2009)
- 33 stage wins in the AsiaTour (since 2005)

Images: Hong Kong Government

Hong Kong is positively bristling with elite-level track and road cyclists, but it had to wait until last year’s London Olympics for Lee Wai Sze to secure its first Olympic medal in cycling, thanks to Lee’s third place in the Women’s 500m time trial.

Earmarked in 2011 as one of 15 national ‘Elite Sports’ to be allocated significant funding and development via the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) – the Government’s “elite sport training systems delivery agent” – cycling is the beneficiary of an investment quantum that goes well beyond improving an individual’s performance; an international-standard indoor velodrome, with a full suite of complementary amenities, is scheduled to be opened in late 2013.

Only last month, Cycling iQ visited the 2013 Hong Kong National Track Cycling Championships which took place at the existing outdoor velodrome in the New Territories. It became abundantly clear that, idyllic surroundings and friendly atmosphere aside, the velodrome’s hard-to-reach location and minimal facilities would not meet the prerequisite specifications to host international-level events. Most depressingly, spectators were outnumbered by participants.

First mooted in 2006, construction of the new velodrome – located in the Tseung Kwan O Sports Center – finally commenced in November 2012. With a projected cost of HKD1,060,000,000 (USD136m), it significantly outspends other similar projects in the region, such as Malaysia’s proposed velodrome which will receive MYR50m (USD17m) of government funding.

A mere 26 minute MTR ride from Hong Kong Central, the Tseung Kwan O velodrome will be the centrepiece of a 6.6-hectare public space intended to “boost local people’s interest in leisure and sports activities”, according to a statement jointly issued by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Architectural Services Department.

The 250-metre long wooden cycling track, built to international specifications, will be surrounded by seating for up to 3,000 spectators, whilst rooms for media, press conferences and doping controls will also be housed under the wavy roof, whose form-language is designed to reference a cycling helmet. Should only a fraction of Hong Kong’s seven million residents decide to take a small detour to the new velodrome next year, Lee and her peers may no longer be racing to the sounds of silence.

Construction of the Tseung Kwan O Velodrome was opened by Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, on November 5 2012.

ARTIST’S IMPRESSIONS

HOW TO GET THERE