Kokura Castle Criterium Race Report

Kokura Criterium

On Friday, October 11, 2024, the Kokura Castle Criterium kicked off on a special course around Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, serving as the exhibition opener for Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2024. The race was won by Lukas Nerurkar from EF Education-EasyPost.

The race kicked off at 1:00 PM on a 1.79 km course, with riders completing 25 laps for a total of 45 km. Despite being held on a weekday, a large crowd lined the roadside to catch a glimpse of the riders, reflecting the growing popularity of this second edition of the event.

(From left to right) The cermonial tape cutting was done by: Kitakyushu City Council Chairman Tsuneo Tanaka, Kitakyushu Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi, Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori, Chairman of the Kyushu Economic Federation Sumio Kuratomi, Senator Seiko Hashimoto, Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly Chairman Katsuji Kouhara, and race ambassador Koichi Nakano.

The race saw numerous attacks from the early stages, but no decisive breakaways were formed for some time. Jeroen Meijers (Victoria Sports Pro Cycling) won the sprint points on lap 5, followed by Daiki Magosaki (Kinan Racing Team) on lap 10, and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) on laps 15 and 20.

In the middle of the race, with 12 laps remaining, Lukas Nerurkar (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) broke away, later joined by Anthon Charmig (Astana Qazaqstan), forming a leading group of three riders.

The peloton was unable to catch the trio, and Nerurkar won the sprint. Hayato Okamoto (Aisan Racing Team), who finished 31 seconds behind in the chasing group, earned the Best Japanese Rider award.

Kokura Castle Criterium Results
1st: Lukas Nerurkar (EF Education-EasyPost) – 59:59:00
2nd: Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) – 59:59:00
3rd: Anthon Charmig (Astana Qazaqstan) – 59:59:00

Comments from Lukas Nerurkar, the winner:
“I didn’t want to take it to a bunch sprint, so I aimed for a breakaway. Once it was down to three of us, we didn’t talk much, but I think we all knew what we had to do. I wasn’t sure of the other two’s sprinting abilities, so I started my sprint early, and I’m happy to have taken the win.”

Sprint Points
5th lap: Jeroen Meijers (Victoria Sports Pro Cycling)
10th lap: Daiki Magosaki (Kinan Racing Team)
15th lap: Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies)
20th lap: Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies)

On the following day, October 12 (SAT), the first stage of the Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2024 will take place, covering 137.72 km from Beppu to Hita.

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