Archive for March, 2012

April 1st 2012 was the second stage of the JCRC Tour of Japan. Set at the Shuzenji cycling center on the Izu peninsula, it was one of the hardest tracks our riders have ever ridden before.

The weather was perfect with no clouds and a slight breeze. The course was packed with many riders of all skill levels, but our rider Stefano stood out above the rest (literally). He was by far the tallest competitor in the race.

Eric and Stefano were to race together in the B-class event which started at 8:30 am. The plan was to stick together and dominate the downhills and flats while allowing other riders to pull them up the steep hills.

From the start however, things went wrong quickly as Stefano dropped his chain in the first corner. Within a few seconds he was dropped from the main pack and would have to fight hard to make his come back.

Eric started off with good position and was able to maintain it through the first few laps. It was during the 3rd lap however, the lighter riders who had an advantage on the climbs started to make their attacks. One by one the riders started to pull away from Eric, who struggled the rest of the race to keep on pace.

At the end of the race, Eric came in 14th position only 5 minutes behind the leader and Stefano came in 32nd place 14 minutes behind. For the both of them however this was a great experience. It was Stefano’s first race ever and with that said, he preformed to the top of his abilities even after his mechanical problem. Eric had pushed himself to the max and never held back. With more training and conditioning our riders will be able to keep up with the lighter riders on the hills. The flat races still belong to our boys!