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Tour de Okinawa

Ash

Warming-Up
Apr 23, 2006
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Folks, TCC will be participating in this year's Tour de Okinawa!

Yasuhiro and I will be heading south again this year, and we invite you all to join us.

http://www.tour-de-okinawa.jp/

Applications open august 1st and you need to be snappy with this as it is extremely popular. There are a variety of different events, this year we have chosen to participate in the 1 day 170km event (thus leaving more time for sanshin and :beer:). You can decide what you want to do however. Last year we did the 300km 2 day tour.

look forward to seeing you down there!

Ash
 
I know Trucksan (Dave) is keen to do this...send him a PM as he doesn't check in much.
This race is also the same weekend as the Nikkan Sports Tour De Japon Saiko stage in Yamanashi. Which like Hitachinaka is one of the few races in Japan that I have a chance of winning. I'll be there. If I were richer I'd like to try Okinawa one day.

The Bridgestone Anchor and Meitan Honpo guys ride the Okinawa race....always nice to ride with any of them...

Have fun!
 
Would be absolutley delighted if you or Dave could join us!

I know its an expensive ride, but I promise it is well, well worth it!

Ash
 
Very interesting event, methinks. Thanks for posting it, Ash!
I remember reading your report in 2007 - was quite impressed by your exploits.
I am particularly interested in the race part - does 市民レース mean that mortals can also participate in it? Did you consider doing the race last year?

I'm keen on trying Saiko race in Yamanashi (Edogawakikkoman's o-susume)
But I've never been to Okinawa - an attractive chance to hit one bird with two stones :) (or was it rabbit?)
 
Very interesting event, methinks. Thanks for posting it, Ash!
I remember reading your report in 2007 - was quite impressed by your exploits.
I am particularly interested in the race part - does 市民レース mean that mortals can also participate in it? Did you consider doing the race last year?

I'm keen on trying Saiko race in Yamanashi (Edogawakikkoman's o-susume)
But I've never been to Okinawa - an attractive chance to hit one bird with two stones :) (or was it rabbit?)

Yeah, its definitetly for mortals, you would have no problems!

Its a lovely place, you would certainly enjoy it! Please come and join!

Ash
 
English site available

Below is English site;
http://www.tour-de-okinawa.jp/english/index.html

Race Division
http://www.tour-de-okinawa.jp/english/summary/citizenrace.html

Touring Division
http://www.tour-de-okinawa.jp/english/summary/citizencycle.html

Ash and I are going to participate in "Yanbaru Century ride 189km" in touring division. Arriving at Nago in the evening before the event then go back to Naha in the evening after the touring by rent-a-car. Next day, we will enjoy food, drinking, and culture there.

今年もAshと行く予定です。1日サイクリングのやんばるセンチュリーライドに参戦予定。レンタカーを借りて前の日に名護に入り、1日サイクリングを終えてその日のうちに那覇へ移動予定。もう1日沖縄にいて、観光予定です。
 
Let's go to Okinawa!

Signed up for a 50 km road race!
I really was going to try 85 km race - long enough and has a couple of nice hills... but, damn, only 6 days since the entry started and it's already full :eek:
 
Would love to read your report guys. The 200km race looks great, I just wish it wasn't on the same weekend as Hotaka.....
 
report

While most of the active TCC'ers were engaging themselves into epic battles in the cold mountains of Hotaka - I opted for Tour de Okinawa, where I raced on a 50 km "flat" course (which turned out to be quite un-flat).

Here's my report - sorry if it's too long and boring :warau:

Okinawa was... well, Okianawan :)
A very beautiful place! I did not have much time to explore the main island, which I was told is especially beautiful in the north part - next year, maybe :cool:

I stopped at "something-or-somewhat" pension village, 10 km from Nago, where I commuted each of 3 days of my being there.

1st day -
- Arrived at Naha airport, assembled my bike and took route 58 all the way to my hotel (~55 km). Hot-hot-hot! I had to peel layer after layer of my clothes, which I was wearing in Tokyo, as I advanced towards my destination (not that I had much, but even with my pants rolled to my knees and wearing a single t-shirt it was still very warm).
5 km on my way to the hotel a sudden but short rain shower made ALL of my clothes wet, including spares in the backpack - I can't remember experiencing such a strong rain ever. These rain attacks were going through the whole trip, making me spend each evening trying to make the clothes dry again for the next day.
Met with Yasuhiro-san in the evening for an Okinawan dinner - orion beer, shochu, awamori with all kinds of local snacks. He joined the touring division for a 189 km tour around the main island. I did not see him after the dinner.. Yasuhiro-san, how was your ride? I hope everything went well for you. Thanks for the company, I enjoyed it a lot!
Anyways, it was time to go back to hotel - it's been a long time since I had to ride after drinking so much - 10km on the busiest road of Okinawa... I don't even remeber how I got back to "something-or-somewhat" pension village :eek:

2nd day -
- Breakfast at the hotel, then test ride on the race course - wide smooth roads, many many small hills and two climbs 1 class higher (one of which is short, but quite steep at 9-10%). I did not rush much and finished it at ~31 km/h...which got me pretty nervous - this is TOO SLOW! it can't be! What happened to my legs and what about all the training? Too much alcohol last night? I was stopping at lights and was not pushing it, but I wasn't relaxed either. Even if I was I going to be a bit faster at the race, I wouldn't even make it through the checkpoints!
I was consoling myself, that I was taking it too easy and didn't even try hard...

Went to explore the city a bit - sea coast, criterium stage of the champion race (damn, these bastards are so fast!), race registration, opening ceremony, nado-nado... back to the hotel, dinner, race preparations, sleep.

3rd day - 50 km RACE
- early breakfast, stuffing pockets with energy, out of the hotel... BANG! it's a bloody storm out there! 10 km to Nago - rain and wind into the face, wobbling and swerving on the road at 17 km/h. Passed couple of Japanese cyclists on the way - "いい天気ですね!".

"please, let it be cancelled, please, let it be cancelled, i don't want to die yet". However, the wind calmed down a bit when I got to the race start ground, but it was pissing all the time. The race was doing fine - no signs of cancellation...well, if so, then I had no choice, I thought, but to do my best and kick their asses :cool:

Lining up at the start line (in the second line from the front) I was looking for the racer with "1" on his decken - the winner of the previous year. I planned to stick with the guy or in his group for as long as possible - he would definitely be going for the win, I thought, so would I...

Ready? go! bang!
Front line takes off like rockets, mr. number 1 with them - I follow. Mmmm... what a great feeling - I am strong again! This is better!
250 racers in my category, a huge crowd flying through the course - villages, villagers, ups, downs, turns - everything flashing and fading in the rain! With elbows and knees touching occasionally, tyres spinning within centimeters - no time to look around. Maybe for somebody it's a common thing now, but I can't remeber riding so close to other riders and so fast at the same time.

Well, where's number 1? gone.. I stay with my group for quite a while, the riders in front (including me) take turns pulling and in 15 mins we see our prey - number 1, riding alone - the bunch gulps him down in seconds. Now I know - we're not a slow bunch :) Was there somebody else in breakaway? it appears yes, as I hear "let's work hard and catch them!" (we never did, actually, it appeared they were fast enough to drop number 1). By the start of the 1st climb I am behind 12 or so riders in my bunch - at the top I am in front again, was this climb really so short? Descend, regroup, 5 or 6 riders go into breakaway... I think about chasing, but nobody's doing any moves... where's number 1? right next to me. Ok, let them go..
After 25 km I still feel strong and being in front after another short climb decide to accelerate a bit, look down at the bike computer - holy mother of god! - 42 km/h with almost no effort! descend? tail wind? whatever... after 5 km of pulling hard and we catch the escapees. It's time for the 2nd climb (short and mean 9% bastard) - some accelerate to gain momentum and ride fast in front of me, but I remeber that it's long enough, and cannot be done in one breath. So I go fast, but steady and do the whole thing dancing out of the saddle - I am in front again! (could not help but smile - thanks, TCC training sessions!). We're close to the finish now, I am still in front, slowing down a bit to 37 km/h to make others work but it looks like nobody wants to - I look behind me for the first time in the race - WOW! a row of eyes fixed on my back! scary! don't look back!
3 km to go. Things heat up - some ride in front of me and I am happy to save some energy for the sprint.
1 km to go. Some hot shots start long sprint and the bunch of 15 or more follows. Too early, I think, but try to follow them - and this is where I realize I cannot keep up...Don't remeber the gear setup, but jumping on my pedals out of saddle and sprinting as hard as I could behind somebody's back did not take where I wanted to be :)
I could've been more tired than I'd thought I was. Or maybe 46 teeth on the front chainring do not suit for this kind of sprint...
Anyway, the sprinting bunch zooms away and I see nobody behind me (guess, we did go pretty fast). I still ride as hard as possible, and overtake a guy who dropped out of the bunch, during the sprint. Finish!

Results -
http://tour-de-okinawa.jp/topics/pdf/50km_citizen_road_race.pdf

28 out of 190 who finished (2 mins behind the winner). We never caught the first breakaway...
avg speed 38.18 km/h

BTW, number 1 finished 13th this year.
I feel, it's not bad for my 1st real race (and it definitely felt like a REAL road race!).

Aftrer that - back to the airport, Tokyo, night, rain, cold, escape on the bike from Haneda ariport (what a scary place it is!), home.

All-in-all, I loved Okinawa and I loved the race - it felt a bit too short, so next year it's 130! or maybe 200? Not exactly climber's paradise, but the weather makes up for the lack of hills :)
 
Thanks for the report Sergey. It sounded like a blast! Damn I wish this didn't clash with Hotaka. I may do the Grand Fondo (Hotaka exact same course minus the 5km up to the carpark) in June next year and do this race instead. I think I would opt for teh 130km one first. Did you hear much news about it Sergey? How about the 200km one? What was the average speeds for these courses?
 
hi, Mike, yes, the whole thing was really good and well-organized! I'd recommend to try it next time.

As for times for 85, 130 and 200 km races - you can check the results here:

http://tour-de-okinawa.jp/topics/index.html

- around 35-36 km/h
Slower than 50 km, but these races have some serious climbs (but nothing comparing to Hotaka) and special king-of-the-mountain points.
 
Brilliant result Sergey, and more importantly sounds like you had a great time. Thanks for the report.
 
Thanks for the wonderful report, Sergey! Sounds as if you were close to a medal yourself. Hope you make it to Hotaka next year though! :)
 
Wow Sergey, a really great report and many congratulations. Sounds like you were roaring at the front pretty much the whole time.

The smaller front crank really suits your hill climbing adventures, but seems to have limited you slightly for the race. But then again, an average speed of 38.18!! On a larger crank you could probably have won, or will next year.
 
Tour de Okinawa (Cycling Division) Report

English will come soon.

遅いポストですが、レポートです。

2回目の参加となるツールド沖縄に行ってきました。本当はAshと2人で行く予定だったのですが、諸般の事情で一人旅となりました。:(

1日目:空路沖縄へ。暑い。11月としては珍しい30度越えらしい。空港でレンタカーを借りて(一人旅なので軽へダウングレード。)、一路名護へ。ホテルへチェックインした後参加登録。
Sergeyと合流し、夕食。ビール、泡盛・・・:beer2:ちと飲みすぎた。
ツールド沖縄期間中の名護のホテルはどこも壮観。ホテルの駐車場、ロビー、廊下まで:road01::road05::road07::road06: !

2日目:今回の参加は189kmの1日サイクリング。「やんばるセンチュリーライド」。
天気予報では雨だったが、朝から快晴。7時にスタートして西海岸の海岸線を快適に走る。ほぼフラットで無風。信号もほとんどない。青い海は美しく、森の鳥のさえずりも心地よい。自然と笑みがこぼれる。2時間半ほどで既に走行距離70km。コリャー、余裕!平均時速も27km。(これは私としては相当早い。)

と、思いきや、突然上り坂。まぁ何とかやり過ごし、昼食。 地元のお母さんたちが炊き出しをしてくれています。昼食はカレーライスを頂く。

昼食後すぐにスタート。本島北の果てから東海岸へ。そしたらまた上り坂。そして雨:rain:。もう、ひたすらアップダウンが続く。雨脚は強まり、下り坂怖くてスピードも出せない。そのまま90kmほど、ずっとこの状態。ふらふらになるほど消耗。この区間、平均時速20km・・・。

最後に東海岸から西海岸へ戻るためまたダラダラと上り坂。もう少しだ。既に175kmを超えた!あと14kmだ!と思っていたら何故かゴール地点。
何か、距離短くないですか!? これもうちなー流か。 :warau:

その日はそのまま車で那覇へ。ホテル近所の居酒屋で一人祝杯をあげる。 :beer1:

3日目:雨。仕方なく温泉→マッサージというお気楽時間。その後居酒屋→バー→バー :beer1:

4日目:また雨。仕方なく自転車を袋に入れショッピング。空路東京へ。

雨にやられた一人旅行だったけど、これはこれで楽しかった。やはり沖縄は特別だ。

実は1泊2日で313km本島一周というコースもある。1日目のコースはほとんど今回のセンチュリーと変わらない。来年はそちらにしよう。二日目は市街地で、「ツールド赤信号」になってしまうけど。
 
Great report!

Hi Sergey. I really enjoyed your report. Sounds like a great day's racing. B
 
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