Tour of Japan - 2.2

Japan, May 20-27, 2007

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Stage 1 - May 20: Sakai City Senboku Circuit Course, 140.8 km

Nippo cleans up in Osaka

By Miwako Sasaki

Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) won the first stage
Photo ©: Miwako Sasaki

Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo-Asada) became the first Japanese rider to win the first stage of the Tour of Japan today, holding off some fierce rivals to cross the line first in Osaka today.

Exclaiming his joy, he crossed the finish line in front of hundreds of spectators, as his leadout rider Yukiya Arashiro took second place behind him. "Yukiya accelerated for me in front of the peloton at 500m to go and we could get a lead before the corner," explained Miyazawa. "So I could sprint easy on the finish line."

The winner's Asada squad also rides in Europe, where Miyazawa finished sixth in Tro Bro Leon and eighth in GP Rennes earlier this year. "Me and Yukiya work together at the sprint from last year and we always tried to get a win in this season," he explained. "But it wasn't working well in Europe. So we could finally get a result today."

How it unfolded

French sprinter Aurelien Passeron (Acqua e Sapone)
Photo ©: Miwako Sasaki

The first stage of the race is very flat and usually a break goes down the road early in the race, with the peloton closing the gap as the finish nears. But it wasn't a usual race today.

Many riders attempted to attack but nobody managed to get away. With just six laps remaining the peloton finally separated and the first 26 riders gained 10 seconds momentarily, before being caught be the peloton. "It wasn't due to a crash or some trouble," Andrea Rossi (Acqua e Sapone) said following the race. "One rider attacked in front of the peloton and some riders followed it. That's all."

On the final lap, Acqua e Sapone formed a train for its French sprinter Aurelien Passeron, who was third on the Vuelta Asturias' second stage and also Giro d'Abruzzo this year. But unfortunately the rider's chain broke with 300 metres to go, ending Passeron's hopes of victory.

In addition to the leader's jersey Miyazawa also took home the points jersey. "I'll sleep wearing the jersey tonight!" he joked.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Miwako Sasaki

A local unicycle club holds a parade before the start.
South Australia.com assembles for photographers before the start.
German Rene Schild (Team Sparkasse) is asked for an autograph by a Japanese fan.
Japan's Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) is one of the favourites today.
Valentin Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan National Team), young brother of Maxim (Astana), checks out his competitors before the start.
Where is my mechanic? Christian Lademann (Team Sparkasse) pumps up a tyre before the start.
Arexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan National Team), one of general classification favourites, starts the race.
A lot of spectators wait for the start in Osaka.
Skil-Shimano's hand-made flags on the course, as Osaka is Shimano's home town.
The peloton rush through Osaka, the biggest city in West Japan.
The peloton always runs closely on the first stage.
French sprinter Aurelien Passeron (Acqua e Sapone) waits in the peloton for the sprint.
Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) can't wait until the final sprint and tries to break from the peloton.
Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) won the first stage with his teammate Yukiya Arashiro in second.
Can't stop laughing: Miyazawa is celebrated by many Japanese fans.
Japan's Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) takes the green leader's jersey.
Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) also gets teh blue points jersey.
Finally he gets a success - Takashi Miyazawa is deeply moved on the podium.
Stage winner Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan Hompo) with teammate Yukiya Arashiro at the press conference.

Results

1 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada    2.59.27
2 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
3 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
4 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
5 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
6 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
7 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
8 Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse
9 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
10 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
11 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
12 Shinya Oba (Jpn) Team JBCF
13 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
14 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
15 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
16 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
17 Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
18 Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
19 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
20 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
21 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
22 Masanari Komuro (Jpn) Team JBCF
23 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
24 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
25 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
26 Keita Onishi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
27 Miles Olman (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
28 Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
29 Kaoru Ouchi (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
30 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
31 Sergei Kudenisov (Rus) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
32 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
33 Jumpei Murakami (Jpn) Team JBCF
34 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
35 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
36 Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
37 Chun Hing Chan (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
38 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
39 Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mgl) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
40 Wang Yip Tang (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
41 Aleksey Lyalko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
42 Kin San Wu (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
43 Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
44 Cameron Meyer (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
45 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
46 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
47 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
48 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
49 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
50 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Team JBCF
51 Mitsunari Mitaki (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
52 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
53 Gang Xu (Chn) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
54 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
55 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse
56 Jay Thompson (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
57 Christof Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
58 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
59 Hisanori Akiyama (Jpn) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
60 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
61 Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
62 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
63 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
64 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
65 René Schild (Ger) Team Sparkasse
66 Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
67 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
68 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
69 Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
70 Hideo Yoshida (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
71 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
72 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
73 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
74 Arthur Ayers (Can) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
75 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
76 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta
77 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
78 Hitoshi Urushizawa (Jpn) Team JBCF
79 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
80 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
81 Takamitu Tsuji (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
82 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
83 Norihide Murayama (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
84 Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF
85 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
86 Robin Reid (NZl) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
87 Sean Finning (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
88 Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
89 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
90 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                      0.13
91 Christian Lademann (Ger) Team Sparkasse
92 Christoph Schweizer (Ger) Team Sparkasse
93 Stefan Loeffler (Ger) Team Sparkasse                                        5.43
DNF Yasuyuki Toi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
 
General classification after stage 1
 
1 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
2 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada        0.04
3 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
4 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
5 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
6 Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team                              0.07
7 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                                        0.09
8 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                                  0.10
9 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
10 Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse
11 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
12 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
13 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
14 Shinya Oba (Jpn) Team JBCF
15 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
16 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
17 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
18 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
19 Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
20 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
21 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
22 Masanari Komuro (Jpn) Team JBCF
23 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
24 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
25 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
26 Keita Onishi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
27 Miles Olman (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
28 Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
29 Kaoru Ouchi (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
30 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
31 Sergei Kudenisov (Rus) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
32 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
33 Jumpei Murakami (Jpn) Team JBCF
34 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
35 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
36 Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
37 Chun Hing Chan (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
38 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
39 Jamsran Ulzii-Orshikh (Mgl) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
40 Wang Yip Tang (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
41 Aleksey Lyalko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
42 Kin San Wu (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
43 Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
44 Cameron Meyer (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
45 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
46 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
47 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
48 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
49 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
50 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Team JBCF
51 Mitsunari Mitaki (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
52 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
53 Gang Xu (Chn) Hong Kong Pro Cycling
54 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
55 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse
56 Jay Thompson (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
57 Christof Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
58 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
59 Hisanori Akiyama (Jpn) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
60 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
61 Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
62 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
63 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
64 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
65 René Schild (Ger) Team Sparkasse
66 Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
67 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
68 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
69 Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag
70 Hideo Yoshida (Jpn) Nalsima Frend
71 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
72 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
73 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
74 Arthur Ayers (Can) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
75 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
76 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta
77 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
78 Hitoshi Urushizawa (Jpn) Team JBCF
79 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
80 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
81 Takamitu Tsuji (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
82 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
83 Norihide Murayama (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
84 Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF
85 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
86 Robin Reid (NZl) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
87 Sean Finning (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS
88 Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
89 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
90 Christian Lademann (Ger) Team Sparkasse
91 Christoph Schweizer (Ger) Team Sparkasse
92 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                      0.23
93 Stefan Loeffler (Ger) Team Sparkasse                                        5.53
94 Yasuyuki Toi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                                           15.53
 
Points classification
 
1 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada         15 pts
2 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada          12
3 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS                               12
4 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team                              10
5 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                                           9
6 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta                                         6
7 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                                     6
8 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling                                         5
9 Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team                                 3
10 Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse                                            3
11 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                                          2
12 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                                             1
 
Teams classification
 
1 Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada                           8.58.21
2 Kazakhstan National Team
3 Matrix Powertag
4 Nalsima Frend
5 Team JBCF
6 Myata - Subaru Racing Team
7 Team Bridgestone Anchor
8 South Australia.com - AIS
9 Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
10 Hong Kong Pro Cycling
11 Aisan Racing Team
12 Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello
13 Skil - Shimano
14 Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
15 Team Konica Minolta
16 Team Sparkasse