Dan Taylor 2012 Tour of Japan stage 3: Minami-Shinshu Can a 150 meter climb be a decisive element of a 148 kilometer stage? Surely not! What if those 148 kilometers were the aggregate of a 12.2km circuit completed 12 times, with that same climb featuring on every lap? That might hurt. Consider this: of the 89 starters … Read more
2012 Tour of Japan stage 2: Mino Former Giro d Italia stage runner-up Maximiliano Richeze presented Team Nippo its first Tour of Japan stage win from a clean bunch sprint in Mino city (Gifu Prefecture) today, following the calculated capture of a plucky local duo who gave their utmost to run away with the spoils. … Read more
2012 Tour of Japan stage 1: Sakai ITT | Cycling iQ 2012 Tour Down Under stage winner Will Clarke has given his Champion System Pro Cycling team a much-needed victory in its home region, winning today s Tour of Japan prologue in Sakai. Better yet, teammate Cameron Wurf placed second, cementing the Chinese team s … Read more
2012 Tour of Japan preview Following visits to Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Korea and Iran, the 2012 UCI AsiaTour finally lands in Japan; one of Asia s true cycling culture centers. Having missed 2011 due to Japan s natural disasters, Tour of Japan is back for its 15th edition. TOUR OF JAPAN BACKGROUNDERFirst … Read more
Joel Calderon s stage-winning Tour de Filipinas bike | Not only did Filipino cyclist Joel Calderon (Mail and More Cycling Team) demoralize an entire field of seasoned international pro cyclists in yesterday s head-splittingly hard mountains stage, he did it on a bike that could have been picked up on eBay for less than $1,500. … Read more
2012 Le Tour de Filipinas | Stage 3: Cauayan City ? Bayombong N.V. An important part of stage racing had been missing prior to today s third Tour de Filipinas stage; the peloton s arrival into categorised mountains territory meant one rider would finally be able to mount the podium wearing the King of the … Read more
Real Samurai Yukiya Arashiro HAO figurine Within Yukiya Arashiro s modest palmar s is the great achievement of becoming the first Japanese cyclist, alongside compatriot Fumiyuki Beppu in 2009, to finish the Tour de France. It s possible the completion of that final circuit over the iconic Champs- lys es was a career-defining moment when … Read more
Merida s Tour de France ambition Merida Industry Co., Ltd, Taiwan s second largest bicycle manufacturing company after Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd, is now actively pursuing entry to the Tour de France. But first, the brand needs a team. Cycling iQ spoke about the barriers to entry with Merida VP, William Jeng, at Taipei Cycle … Read more
Shadow optic: the manufacturing partner paradox Who really makes your bike? It is a simple enough question. Country of origin has traditionally been a touchy subject for brands that rely on Asia-based manufacturing partners , let alone revealing who the partners are. Discovering the factory behind the brand is a stubbornly topical pastime amongst bicycle … Read more
Recollections of an interview with Jan Ullrich Motionless, like the plastic chair in Eurobike s media centre, I stare disbelievingly into space. Sounds of productivity encircle and taunt me. A peripheral flash of light pulls me back to the present. How did it go??? read the SMS from Wade at CyclingTips. At least we got … Read more