10/07 Fukuoka Stage Race Report
Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2023 stage1
Naoki Kojima (Team Bridgestone Cycling), a native of Miyama City, Fukuoka Prefecture, won the stage 1 of the three-day Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2023 by winning a small group sprint. He wore the general classification leader’s jersey.
The 144km course that started at the Kitakyushu Media Dome, the birthplace of Keirin, and ended at Shin-Omuta Station includes three intermediate sprints and three categolized climbs. In particular, the 1st category Ushinaki Pass at the 90.9km point was a highly difficult climb in this day.
At the 19.7km point, Naoki Kojima (Team Bridgestone Cycling), supported by outstanding teamwork, passed the intermediate sprint in Kaharu first. Kohei Yokotsuka (VC Fukuoka), Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team), Yoshiki Terada (Shimano Racing), and Craig Wiggins (ARA Skip Capital) formed a breakaway group from the main group, which settled into a comfortable pace.
Mohd Zariff led the pack through the first mountain point of the day, the Nagatani Pass (Cat. 2) at 43.9km. While the second intermediate sprint in Kurume (82.8km) won by Yokotsuka.
Entering the Ushinaki Pass, a cat.1 mountain, ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM and the EF Education-NIPPO Development Team set a high pace from the main group, while Mohd Zariff, who continued to break away, passed the summit alone, but was reeled in the group on the descent.
The main group, now reduced to less than 30 riders, headed for the final intermediate sprint point of the day at 125.6km, in Chikugo. After Genki Yamamoto (Kinan Racing Team) won the sprint, Dan Gardner (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) and Kane Richard (ARA Skip Capital) are off the front.
The duo gained about 30 seconds, but couldn’t resist high tempo set by the others, at the last categorized climb of the day, Orange Road (cat.2, 138.8km). The race was brought to a small bunch sprint of 25 riders in front of Shin-Omuta Station.
Naoki Kojima also won this sprint. This was his second consecutive win, following his victory in the Kokura Castle Criterium the day before. Kojima is from Miyama City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where the course this day passed through. His team, Bridgestone, is also based in Kurume, so he was able to respond to the support of his hometown by winning his first overall individual leader’s jersey of the event. The race was a high speed race with an average speed of 43.7 km/h.
The point and best Japanese award went to Kojima, the mountain award to Mohd Zariff, and the young rider award to William Eaves (ARA Skip Capital), who is in fifth place overall due to bonus time at the end of the race.
Stage 1 result
1 Naoki Kojima（Team Bridgestone Cycling）3h18’48”
2 Jambaljamts Sainbayar（Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team）m.t.
3 Youcef Reguigui（Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team）m.t.
General classification after stage 1
1 Naoki Kojima（Team Bridgestone Cycling）3h18’35”
2 Jambaljamts Sainbayar（Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team）+7″
3 Youcef Reguigui（Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team）+9″
Naoki Kojima – stage winner, point leader, overall leader
“The support of the spectators at the end of the race was very encouraging. We were aiming for this stage, the most local of the four days. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, the team will work as one and do our best”
Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff -mountain leasder
“It is a great feeling to have won this result together with my teammates. I will do my best tomorrow.”
William Eaves -young rider leader
“I am happy with today’s result. I am happy to have done the tough hills. Happy to wear the young rider jersey for the first time.”
Tomorrow, October 8 (Sun), the second stage of the Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2023, the “Kumamoto Aso Stage,” will be held over 107.73 km from Senomoto Rest House to Asobonosato Kugino.
（fin）