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TOJ : Tokyo Stage Race 24/5

m o b

Speeding Up
Jun 22, 2008
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The 13th Tour of Japan, a professional race will take off next month, and also this year it will be linked with a "amateur race" in Tokyo. It is time to register and seize the opportunity to crash right in front of your house door.

Yes. After a look at the course map (if there is any), you may think "Hey this race is dead flat and looks quite easy - even I could win that." That is what we all think. And not even us, but also about 12 Million other Japanese citizens as well who might think that they should try their luck at a first cycle race. And why not? It is hold in Oi-Futo, the port of Tokyo where riders flock on the weekend to show-off their new carbon bikes and race against others on the wide streets normally crowded by container trailers.

Well, everybody can win this race, provided he is of average strength with the field AND he arrives at the finish in one complete piece, bones, organs, flesh and muscles all orderly lined up in the right order as they should be.

[please continue to read at http://positivo-espresso.blogspot.com

If you need my assistance for registration, please let me know.
 
Link

not working I think !

Not that I am thinking of entering or anything .....

chazzer
 
I hope to do this again.
Tried once... crashed on the last lap and it was the worst crash I've ever had.
Grazed knees, arse, shoulders, elbows, 3 stitches under my left eye and a big head ache. One guy to my left went down and the peloton expanded around him. I was on the right edge and before I knew it there was a traffic cone trying to go under my front wheel. (3 lanes merging into 1). I cartwheeled, forward rolled and came to a stop sitting on my ripped pants. They fixed that part of the course now and it's not as dangerous. Never was my heart rate so low in a race and I thought I had a good chance.... :eek:uch:

It's good to watch the final stage of the pro race after lunch too.
 
Link

I repaired the link, it should be working now.
Peter, hope to see you at the race. Register for 2A if I shall draft you to the finish line where we will make it up between us, man vs. man against the mob.
 
I've done this race a couple times as A class. 2006 was kinda fun, I was able to attack a couple times but the second time we were neutralized by the race officials for interfering with the 50+ year old race, cheap treatment for 6000 yen... but really we have races like this every weekend in California, they're like the bread and butter in American cycling. Should be like a twenty buck to show up, race for forty five minutes and go home. However here it's a big event. It's the kind of racing that is all about positioning and nerves. So to do something like this a couple times a year is not in my interest. It takes a lot of experience to get good at this sort of racing. Last year I should have brought scuba gear instead of a bike. I sat at the back and played "accelerate out of the corner" accordian effect game, got lots of minerals by drinking in tire spray. Both times it was a total free for all with even racers from the same team chasing and attacking each other, pretty low level. I agree it's not a fitness thing unless you can time trial off the front. And of course you can win and never know till you try. However, I'll go and watch this year and cheer you guys on.
 
Paid this morning for 2A. Should be OK.
I've seen 2B and 2C have faster average speeds some years so let's hope that is the case this year as well.
 
I had planned to go and train at Oi on the 10th for this, but will go and cheer Phil in his TT instead.

Then Oi on the 17th.
 
Hi MOB,

Sorry to hear about your crash and broken hand :( I hope you recover quickly and your bike is OK.

Philip
 
TOJ Entry

Hi Everybody,

Thanks for the good wishes. Can hardly wait to be on the bike again.

I have now an entry under my name for TOJ Toko stage on 24/5, class 2A.
If anybody of you would like to have it for, say 3.000 Yen (paid 6.000) let me know. As you race under my name, please don't race too fast!
 
Hi Mob

where is this toj toko taking place,. I am here for 3 weeks, staying in meridien pacific hotel shinagawa st. And when is the race and whats the distance of it ??? I could be interested. class 2 A ?? ( former a riders or ??)
 
Hi Thomas, this is Lyle again
The race is in fact taking place at the very area I was going to take you Sunday!
So your in luck if you want to do this race. I've done it a couple times but not 2A, not exactly sure what 2A is.
I was planning on riding by the hotel meridian Sunday morning and showing you where Oi Futo is. Then you can do some laps and check the course. So what you'd have to do is be outside the hotel in your bike and gear and ready to ride. I haven't decided on a time yet but the Oi course will be crowded this Sunday as every rider will be checking out the course, so early is better.
HOWEVER, it may rain Sunday. In this case I cancel. Sorry but I'm not racing this year so I'm not motivated to train in the wet.
Why don't you write to my email
[email protected]
and we can plan more
Thanks
 
I hope to go this Sunday morning as well.
I have to escape going to my nephew's shichi-go-san. (may be hard to do that).

2a for this race is the same as level B & C of the JCRC series. Which is about the equivalent of a Cat 3 or 4.
The riders in this race should also have more than 3 years of racing experience.

To tell you the truth I'd rather be in the next rank down but on this course those riders ( 1 year racing experience) tend to cause the crashes. 2A should be a safer race and a little bit faster.
 
Hi Lylen and Edoga.

Ok, why dont we go together, I am ready when you tell me to be sunday. I saw now that the race is on the 24 th :) the person whos selling his number, could you contact me so I can know when the race starts and how long it is ??? cause i have to work from around 14 a clock that day. Looking forward to meet you guys sunday. If any wanna ride the next couple of days I am leaving my hotel early morning for a 2 hour ride.

Thomas
 
Okay Thomas
I would like to try eight in the morning Sunday at your hotel if you think you can.
As for your riding tomorrow
I recommend the Tama cycle road. It is along the big Tamagawa, a river that is south of your hotel. It runs for many kilometers and some parts are long and uninterrupted. It is fairly safe and not crowded on week days. Here's the cycling green map using Google earth to help your adventure...
Good luck and send to my email contact information. I look forward to seeing anyone who wants to go to Oi Sunday. Remember for me rain cancels.
map...
http://green.k.tamabi.ac.jp/map?lang=en
and my email
[email protected]
 
Hi Lylen

About Sunday,.- Ill wait for outside the door of my hotel Pacific Meridien Tokyo in front of Shinagawa ST. Its the one with TGI Fidays in the ground floor.

I am there ready 8.00 am. Dont get stressed if your a bit delayed.

looking forward to meet you

Thomas
 
Got my race number today with starters lists.
I see a few names I recognize in mine but an awful lot of 'new' SID numbers. Hope they are slow and stupid and not fast and stupid....
Can't believe that they let a 12 year old in it????? He must be fast....
9 older than me....
67 starters now and I'm sure there will be more by Sunday.
The S(top) class race looks good. We have our 3 best riders in it...82 starters...
 
mob: Congratulations. Great ride. Pulling the whole peloton like that in the last sprint was awesome... ;)

As for me, it was hard. Freezing cold start in a drizzly rain. Thought I was warmed up but was shivering.
1st lap pace was fast. 44 or 45kph. I was going to give up after the 1st lap but hung on and it slowed down to about 38kph. AT least the first lap really warmed me up.
The first 2 laps I spent at the back watching a lot of people getting dropped. I thought I was going to be one of them as well. Saw a team mate sitting in the gutter at one point. He had crashed out.
After the 2nd lap and coming around the final hair pin bend near the start of the final lap I decided I better move up near the front and sped down the right hand side. I tried to wedge in about 10 back from the front but was hard to find a wheel. After 2km I was at the back again.
With 5km to go I tried to get my breath back. My heart rate was low enough but the pace was still fast. (43kph or so).
3km to go I was still at the back and not feeling strong at all.
1km to go and around the last bend I decided to give it one more push and I took the curve with too much speed and thought I was going to slide out. The back wheel went side ways on a man hole cover but I manage dto keep going. I then hit another manhole cover and my back wheel jumped about 20cm sideways again. I could see the back of the peleton move further and further away... :warau:

I finished about 23 seconds behind first place... 47th place...

Of my team mates there were 5 of us. (including myself).

In the top class we had a 2nd and a 3rd. An ex-pro I train with some nights came 4th. Brilliant result. Maruyama-san winning as usual.
In 2B the race behind me we had a 1st place WIN!!!! :rolleyes:
In the 2nd fastest race, my team mate was in a crash with 300m to go and finished 1 or 2 minutes after the winner.

I was surprised at the pace for a wet and rainy dangerous course.
I don't really want to ever race in the rain again. Will seriously consider making it a personal rule to sit them out.
Was great training for next month's Hitachinaka race. My team mate who won today will probably win that as well. (D class).

We waited around to watch a few laps of the pros but after a while decided to get home and have a hot bath instead.
;)
 
Hi Edogawikikkoman

Nice to see you guys today at Oi ( I met Peter but saw you and your number but didnt have time to shake hands, sorry)

Was great to race in the rain today, I thought!!! Yep, I thought those 7 or 8 riders who got 20 sec too fast had to be caught, so I attacked just before finish line ( with everyone on my wheel ;-) after 1 lap and we maneged to get them quiet easy in the 180 degrees turn. From that on we kept it pretty much together and it was up to a sprint. So 3 km to go and I found a place up in the front behind someone in white and we started the train ;-). Thanks for a nice chilly rainy day in Tokyo. See ya Thomas
 
Nice report as always, thanks Pete. Sounds like it was a tough one...skidding rear wheel at 40km+ = scary as heck. Glad you made it round in one piece. Congrats to your teammates, too.

Thomas > well done, looks like you had a great race.
 
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