JBCF Minami Uonoma Road Race Report

warm up with Ito san

The JBCF tour rolled into Niigata this weekend.

Welcome to Niigata! Where the mountains rise from the sea. The air is clean. The water pure. Home to the best rice, sake and most beautiful women in Japan!

This is a good course. A steep climb up the dam. Rolling around the lake. A sweeping descent. 2 of these. And then a climb to the summit finish.

Build up

2 weeks ago we reccied the course. I did a hard and consistent effort. Hot on the wheels of Tazaki san (3rd today in E1) and Satou san (4th in E2).

I did the three climbs at 4:27, 4:24 and 4:32. At an estimate 400+watts each time.

Since then I’ve been down with a cold. A whole week and I still can’t shake it…

Warm up

I decide on a long one. Build the intensity slowly. Clear the lungs. Coughing and spluttering. Raise the HR 3 times on the flat. 3 times on a short climb.

climb 1, good position, about 10th man

Race time

Mid-afternoon and it’s hot. 97 riders start the E3 race. 10 Niigata friends in the bunch. This is our home race!

3,2,1 Go!

A descent. Leading into a right angle right hander. It’s neutral but a bit chaotic. Everyone seems to get round the corner. Except the commissionaire’s car! He mis-times it! Just the lead motorbike then. All the better for it.

Climb 1 (4:21 est. 406 W)

97 riders on the road. It’s all about following wheels. A few duffers have to be passed.

The first climb is the one where you can hold back a little. So long as you can bridge in the top group. I’m about 10th man.

Around the lake. I keep my place. About 10th man. Avoid getting involved in the pulling. Safe from any crashes behind. Textbook racing!

Kenta san and Tojo san (Fins) and team mate Takahashi san are doing good pulls. I sit back. The heart rate is high but it’s not too tough.

The descent. Hayakawa san (Fins) attacks and gets a gap. We are all back together on the climb. But it was a nice move. Need to be right at the front on descent no.2.

climb 2 Me, team mate Takahashi san, and Fin's Tojo san, Kenta san (hidden) and Hayakawa san all in the mix

Climb 2 (4:37 est. 389W)

This is an important climb. Splits will be made here. I work my way to the front. The crowd is big on the final steep drag. I’m third man. Oono san and Tazaki san screaming us on.

We roll around the lake again. I’m a bit further up now. About 5th man. I do a few pulls. Nothing too hard. Try to be on the front on the two right angle corners at the back end of the course.

The back straight. More jostling down. I’m on the front when riders come round from both sides. You don’t want to be swarmed up here. Elbows out. Force my way back to the front.

Hayakawa san, Kenta, then me. Like a training ride. Into the descent. Hayakwa san goes again. This is a great move as other riders are forced to chase.

6th man on the descent. But I’m not fast enough through the corners. By the valley floor I’m in no-man’s land. Trapped between the 5 up the road and the chasing pack.

Climb 3 (4:37 est. 389W)

This should be the climax. But I’m being swarmed from behind. It's a pure hill climb now.

I pass Hayakwa san. "Good job!" His work is done. I’m on 185HR. Can’t go much harder.

A little dig at the end gets me a few places. 191 HR over the top.

Kenta is 1st. Takahashi is 2nd. A Niigata 1-2!

I drop from 6th to 16th but..

I’m satisfied with my race. I rode well without the best condition. I rode a good race too. Next up is Gunma CSC – 120 km. My kind of race!