JAPAN CUP 2006


I wasn't planning on going really. Though I've had the occasional blast around Tokyo in the early morning I basically am not interested in cycling. I contemplated quitting and selling my bikes several times in the last couple months but my wife thought better of it. I was really on the fence about going to the Japan Cup as well. Yama San packs his van full of camping gear, stocks up on tons of food at Hamanasa (a kind of Japanese Trader Joes) and gets several coolers of beer and heads out to Utsanomia for camping, bbq and spectating. He eats and drinks starting 1130 at night and then rouses himself in time to watch the race from his tent semi hung over.



However Kishi San had called me several days early and suggested that I come and join him on an early morning ride in the mountains before viewing the event. Maybe he could tell I had the "I don't give a flying turd about cycling any more", look on my face. Maybe he even guessed I had contemplated getting rid of my bikes recently. In any case his tone was encouraging. So on my wifes coaxing I went to join the excursion. Imagine my surprise when Kishi San wasn't there. Typical of my cycling experiences in Japan, I thought. But I was there and committed so we left. I brought my bike but had secretly planned to never bring it down off the roof rack.



After skipping the bbq beer fest and popping a sleeping pill I dozed off in the tent and woke at four am. Yama's wife Aya and another were still awake and chatting . I made some coffee and tried to contact Kishi San. It was useless and I didn't know where to ride, I wasn't dicouraged because I was kind of expecting something like this. Aya san talked me into riding my bike. She said that I could ride the course and come back without any problem. So on her coaxing I changed and brought the bike down off the rack.



As you would expect from a UCI race the course was serious with a kilometer and a half climb that kept hitting out at around twelve percent with a nice twisty decent. Following that up and down rollers and a couple nasty leg breakers towards the start finish line. About fifteen kilometers each lap and the pros would do ten laps, pretty punishing. After one lap I was thinking of calling it quits but Aya suggeted I still had time so I pushed on for another lap and I got lost going through a nearby town. On my backtrack I ran into Kishi San and his group and joined in. Things were coming together and I was kind of getting into it. Since leaving California I hadn't ridden more than two kilometers without seeing a stoplight, suddenly I was experiencing that cycling freedom again and it felt okay. We finished our ride with three and a half laps before the security corraled us back to our tents.



I got changed and ate some of Yama Sans morning bbq and prepaired to watch some racing. Basically the Japan Cup unfolds the same way each year. The Japanese domestic squads fly the coop early and battle it out for the KOM honors, then the Pro Tour Teams join forces to bring them back then all habibas break loose on the last three laps. The interesting story this time was Discover Channels presence of five riders including Japan champ Beppu Fukiyumi, who would be a national hero if he could pull the win. Also the Euro continental team Skil Shimano was strongly represented and wasn't really Pro Tour and wasn't really domestic, they had thier own agenda and it showed as they placed four riders in the initial break away and rode very aggresively throughout.


(Skill Shimano rider leading the break with everybodies favorite Koji Fukishima sweeping up some KOM points)

After bbq spaghetti brunch and early beer things were getting kinda dull in the Yama camp so I struck out on my own and low and behold there was Kishi San again. We agreed to head up the mountain to watch the chase ensue and see the fan scene. Actually it turned out to be a total blast. The whole mountain side was swarming with enthusiasm over the race. Fans for the different riders created songs praising thier efforts and created special banners and jersies just for this event. The fans had come all the way out to see the race and understood cycling and the racers and were crazy enthusaistic, finally I began to feel inspired.


(Pro Tour teams coming to sweep up the break)

Things began to get exiting as Discovery hit the gas to put thier most ideal winner Beppu San into position. They brought the break down from 2:20 to 20 in one lap. Then the other Pro Tour teams joined in to finish the job on the following lap. Recardo Ricco on the Saundier team started to take charge and make life hard on the young Japanese champ. Then on the ninth lap he lowered the boom and flew up the climb, my jaw dropped at the speed, a Skil Shimano rider was in tow and hanging on for dear life. Discoveries Gusev and Devolder left Beppu behind to chase and get Discoveries rightful victory.


(Fukiyumi Beppu helping to lead the charge on one lap)


(Getting dropped on the next lap)

Kishi and I headed back down the road and were stopped by some of Kishi's friends and local Tokyo riders. They offered us some wine Kishi San introduced me. Several of them mentioned that there's a foriegner in Tokyo that rides really fast around the Imperial Palace. Kishi san pointed at me and said "it's HIM!" It turns out that I am imfamous for my morning maniac rides, selling the bikes were the last thing on my mind when I heard that. We continued down the mountain with my head in the clouds back to the finish line to hope for the elusive Japanese victory that has only happened once before in the races 15 year history.


(The agony of the blur. A blurring cyclist dying on the ninth lap, the sag wagons not far behind).

Ricco pulled off a well deserved victory with his best Bettini imitation. Discovery took third and fouth to save some honor and some Lampre rider got second. The pro tour riders got their UCI points, Koji got his mountain jersey, I got some inspiration and everyone went home happy. Thanks for reading.