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8th Tour de Korea-Japan - 2.2
Japan-Korea, June 21-July 4, 2008
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Prologue - June 21: Yamaga Gymnasion prologue, 1.8km
German Schmieg dominates a terrible weather prologue
By Miwako Sasaki
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German Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) won the terrible weather 1.8 kilometre prologue of the 1st Tour de Korea-Japan to take the first white leaders jersey. For the 19 year old sprinter, it was his first victory in an international race, and for him, "winning a prologue was also a first!". Schmieg's team-mate Ralf Matzka was second and Japanese rider Kazuhiro Mori (Aisan racing Team) was third.
Under the concept "two wheels unite the earth", the 1st Tour de Korea-Japan was launched at Yamaga city in Japan. The Prologue was hit by heavy rain, typical of this time of year during the rainy season. However all 105 riders from 19 teams finished the prologue without a serious crash.
"The weather was very different to Germany and we had many problems in the rain, the course was very dangerous too. But I had good legs today, so it was OK," Schmieg explained after the race. His Team Ista, a German Continental Team from Stuttgart and a feeder-team for Gerolsteiner had a wonderful start in their first race in Japan. "We want to win one more stage, and we will see how we can do on the hills."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Miwako
- The 1.8km prologue course was treacherous due to the rain.
- Savings & Loans pre-rode the course a day ahead of the race.
- Savings & Loans prepares on the start ramp of the prologue.
Images by Sasachini
- The prologue podium: Ralf Matzka, Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) & Kazuhiro Mori (Aisan racing Team).
- Prologue winner Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) gets a special bouquet (with a pineapple!) in the south part of Japan.
- Prologue winner Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) receives the white leader jersey.
- Ex-Tour de Korea winner Sung Baek Park (Seoul Cycling) is the final starter for the prologue.
- Irish David McCann (Giant Asian racing Team) on the start ramp.
- German Ralf Matzka (Team Ista) concentrates for the prologue.
- Collstrop's Sergey Lagutin starts the Tour de Korea-Japan as a member of Uzbekistan National Team.
- Japanese Shinri Suzuki (Skil-Shimano) rides into the heavy rain.
- is the German, Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) expecting to win the prologue?
- German Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) on the start ramp.
- The prologue of Tour de Korea-Japan is hit by rain...
- The start ramp of the prologue has to keep dry for riders...
- Kin San Wu (Hong Kong China National team) on the start ramp.
- 43 year old Nathan Dahlberg (Nordland -Hamburg Palmares) starts Tour de Korea-Japan.
- Australian William Dickeson (Savings & Loans Cycling Team) starts the rainy prologue.
- Joshua Page (Giant Asian racing Team) , the first rider for the prologue of the first Tour de Korea-Japan, on the start ramp.
- The wet course is waiting for 105 riders.
- German Christopher Schmieg (Team Ista) signing in for the prologue.
- Australian William Dickeson (Savings & Loans Cycling Team) is waiting for the start.
- The Uzbekistan National Team is relaxing before the race.
- Everybody is waiting for the rain to stop.
- Why are you preparing the prologue in this terrible rain??
- The Australian Savings & Loans Cycling Team prepares for the prologue during the heavy rain.
Results
1 Christopher Schmieg (Ger) Team Ista 2.28 (43.783 km/h) 2 Ralf Matzka (Ger) Team Ista 3 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 4 Nolan Hoffman (RSA) Team Neotel 5 Sung Baek Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling 0.01 6 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 7 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 8 Joon Yong Seo (Kor) Geumsan County 9 Chan Jae Jang (Kor) Kcsc 0.02 10 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 11 Chris Luxton (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.03 12 Dong Hun Kim (Kor) Sosfo 13 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 14 Seok Kyu Suh (Kor) Seoul Cycling 15 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 16 Rhys Anthony Pollock (Aus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.04 17 Ji Hun Yu (Kor) Sosfo 18 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 19 In Hyeok Hwang (Kor) K-Water 20 Jaco Venter (RSA) Team Neotel 21 Sergey Koudentsov (Rus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.05 22 Robin Schmuda (Ger) Team Ista 23 Sun Jae Jang (Kor) Kcsc 24 Ki Hong Yoo (Kor) Seoul Cycling 25 Erik Hoffmann (Nam) Giant Asian Racing Team 26 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 27 Chang Min Park (Kor) Geumsan County 0.06 28 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 29 Sean Ho Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling 30 Je Sung Yeon (Kor) Geumsan County 31 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 32 Cheung Gyo Jeong (Kor) Geumsan County 33 Christoph Meschenmoser (Ger) Team Ista 34 Masahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 35 Masaaki Kikuchi (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 36 Jong Gyun Choi (Kor) K-Water 37 William Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.07 38 Ki Rak Choi (Kor) Sosfo 39 Hee Gyeong Hwang (Kor) Kcsc 40 Nico Keinath (Ger) Team Ista 41 Tae Gyun Kim (Kor) K-Water 42 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 43 Uk Kim Yeong (Kor) Geumsan County 0.08 44 Jeong Wook Lee (Kor) Kcsc 45 Cheol Seong Park (Kor) Gapyeong County 46 Young Jae Jeon (Kor) Yang Yang County 47 Johann Rabie (RSA) Team Neotel 48 Eun Seong Jeong (Kor) Gapyeong County 49 Jun Oh Kwon (Kor) Geumsan County 50 David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 51 Ruslan Karimov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 0.09 52 Gyeong Dong Jang (Kor) Sosfo 53 Tae Min Gong (Kor) Gapyeong County 54 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 55 Hyun Do Jo (Kor) Gapyeong County 56 Russell Gill (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 57 Seong Tae Kim (Kor) Yang Yang County 58 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Neotel 0.10 59 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 60 Jong Hyo Park (Kor) K-Water 61 Philip Kaczmarowski (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 62 Victor Ulzen (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 63 Toyohiro Oka (Jpn) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 64 Wang Yip Tang (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 65 Kai Tsun Lam (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 66 Julian Rammler (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 0.11 67 Chul Soo Kim (Kor) Yang Yang County 68 Chan Woo Lee (Kor) Sosfo 69 Jai David Crawford (Aus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 70 Temur Mukhamedov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 71 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 72 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asian Racing Team 73 Thimothy Roe (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 74 Joshua Page (NZl) Giant Asian Racing Team 0.12 75 Chi Sek Chui (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 76 Seok Jin Joo (Kor) Kcsc 77 Seung Gil Ju (Kor) Gapyeong County 78 Serge Herz (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 79 Yin-Chih Wang (Tpe) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 80 Jae Yeong Lee (Kor) Sosfo 81 Gyeong Ho Lee (Kor) Yang Yang County 82 Craig McCartney (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 83 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 0.13 84 Ying Hon Yeung (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 85 Zinal Mohd Nor Rizuan (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 86 Alex Coutts (GBr) Giant Asian Racing Team 87 Nikolai Schwarz (Ger) Team Ista 88 Jae Hyun Park (Kor) Gapyeong County 89 Kuan Hua Lai (Tpe) Giant Asian Racing Team 90 Loh Sea Keong (Mas) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.14 91 Ahmad Haidar Anuawar (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 92 Yuriy Ivoljatov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 93 Vadim Shaekhov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 94 Kin San Wu (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 95 Siu Wai Ko (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 0.15 96 Wan Gyu Shim (Kor) Yang Yang County 97 James Lewis Perry (RSA) Team Neotel 98 Nathan Dahlberg (Mgl) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 99 Won Jae Lee (Kor) Seoul Cycling 100 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling 0.16 101 Yaroslav Malakhov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 102 Anuar Manan (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 0.17 103 Oliver Stock (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 104 Hae Rang Jung (Kor) K-Water 0.24 105 Lotto Petrus (Nam) Team Neotel 0.25 DNS Wan Mohd Nazri Wan Ahmad (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team General Classification after Prologue 1 Christopher Schmieg (Ger) Team Ista 2.28 2 Ralf Matzka (Ger) Team Ista 3 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 4 Nolan Hoffman (RSA) Team Neotel 5 Sung Baek Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling 0.01 6 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 7 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 8 Joon Yong Seo (Kor) Geumsan County 9 Chan Jae Jang (Kor) Kcsc 0.02 10 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 11 Chris Luxton (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.03 12 Dong Hun Kim (Kor) Sosfo 13 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 14 Seok Kyu Suh (Kor) Seoul Cycling 15 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 16 Rhys Anthony Pollock (Aus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 17 Ji Hun Yu (Kor) Sosfo 0.04 18 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 19 In Hyeok Hwang (Kor) K-Water 20 Jaco Venter (RSA) Team Neotel 21 Sergey Koudentsov (Rus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.05 22 Robin Schmuda (Ger) Team Ista 23 Sun Jae Jang (Kor) Kcsc 24 Ki Hong Yoo (Kor) Seoul Cycling 25 Erik Hoffmann (Nam) Giant Asian Racing Team 26 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 27 Chang Min Park (Kor) Geumsan County 0.06 28 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 29 Sean Ho Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling 30 Je Sung Yeon (Kor) Geumsan County 31 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 32 Cheung Gyo Jeong (Kor) Geumsan County 33 Christoph Meschenmoser (Ger) Team Ista 34 Masahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 35 Masaaki Kikuchi (Jpn) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 36 Jong Gyun Choi (Kor) K-Water 37 William Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.07 38 Ki Rak Choi (Kor) Sosfo 39 Hee Gyeong Hwang (Kor) Kcsc 40 Nico Keinath (Ger) Team Ista 41 Tae Gyun Kim (Kor) K-Water 42 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 43 Uk Kim Yeong (Kor) Geumsan County 44 Jeong Wook Lee (Kor) Kcsc 0.08 45 Cheol Seong Park (Kor) Gapyeong County 46 Young Jae Jeon (Kor) Yang Yang County 47 Johann Rabie (RSA) Team Neotel 48 Eun Seong Jeong (Kor) Gapyeong County 49 Jun Oh Kwon (Kor) Geumsan County 50 David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 51 Ruslan Karimov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 0.09 52 Gyeong Dong Jang (Kor) Sosfo 53 Tae Min Gong (Kor) Gapyeong County 54 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 55 Hyun Do Jo (Kor) Gapyeong County 56 Russell Gill (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 57 Seong Tae Kim (Kor) Yang Yang County 58 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Neotel 0.10 59 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 60 Jong Hyo Park (Kor) K-Water 61 Philip Kaczmarowski (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 62 Victor Ulzen (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 63 Toyohiro Oka (Jpn) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 64 Wang Yip Tang (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 65 Kai Tsun Lam (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 66 Julian Rammler (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 67 Chul Soo Kim (Kor) Yang Yang County 0.11 68 Chan Woo Lee (Kor) Sosfo 69 Jai David Crawford (Aus) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 70 Temur Mukhamedov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 71 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil-Shimano 72 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asian Racing Team 73 Thimothy Roe (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 74 Joshua Page (NZl) Giant Asian Racing Team 75 Chi Sek Chui (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 0.12 76 Seok Jin Joo (Kor) Kcsc 77 Seung Gil Ju (Kor) Gapyeong County 78 Serge Herz (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 79 Yin-Chih Wang (Tpe) Meitan Hompo-Gdr 80 Jae Yeong Lee (Kor) Sosfo 81 Gyeong Ho Lee (Kor) Yang Yang County 82 Craig McCartney (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 83 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 0.13 84 Ying Hon Yeung (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 85 Zinal Mohd Nor Rizuan (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 86 Alex Coutts (GBr) Giant Asian Racing Team 87 Nikolai Schwarz (Ger) Team Ista 88 Jae Hyun Park (Kor) Gapyeong County 89 Kuan Hua Lai (Tpe) Giant Asian Racing Team 90 Loh Sea Keong (Mas) Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.14 91 Ahmad Haidar Anuawar (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 92 Yuriy Ivoljatov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 93 Vadim Shaekhov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 94 Kin San Wu (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 95 Siu Wai Ko (HKg) Hong Kong China National Team 0.15 96 Wan Gyu Shim (Kor) Yang Yang County 97 James Lewis Perry (RSA) Team Neotel 98 Nathan Dahlberg (Mgl) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 99 Won Jae Lee (Kor) Seoul Cycling 100 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling 0.16 101 Yaroslav Malakhov (Uzb) Uzbekistan Cycling Team 102 Anuar Manan (Mas) Le Tua Cycling Team 0.17 103 Oliver Stock (Ger) Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 104 Hae Rang Jung (Kor) K-Water 0.24 105 Lotto Petrus (Nam) Team Neotel 0.25 Team classification 1 Team Ista 7.29 2 Skil-Shimano 0.01 3 Seoul Cycling 0.05 4 Aisan Racing Team 5 Team Neotel 0.08 6 Geumsan County 0.09 7 Sosfo 8 Kcsc 0.10 9 Meitan Hompo-Gdr 10 Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.13 11 K-Water 0.14 12 Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team 13 Gapyeong County 0.20 14 Yang Yang County 0.24 15 Giant Asian Racing Team 16 Nordland-Hamburg Palmares 0.26 17 Uzbekistan Cycling Team 0.28 18 Hong Kong China National Team 19 Le Tua Cycling Team 0.39
