Miyazaki – Oita Stage Race Report

 

Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2025 – Miyazaki–Oita Stage (Stage 3)

The third and final day of the race featured the Miyazaki–Nobeoka stage. The 119 km course included one Category 3 and one Category 2 climb, making it the easiest profile of the three days. Although it was the final stage, all teams knew that overturning the overall standings would be a difficult task.

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s director, Nieri, whose rider Joseph Pidcock sat fourth overall, commented realistically: “The 30-second gap to Garibbo (3rd overall) is too big. A podium finish will be tough.” The team had won the Sasebo Criterium but lost David De la Cruz to a crash in Fukuoka, which derailed their general classification ambitions.

 

 

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies, who also lost Alexandre Delettre in a crash in Fukuoka and fell out of GC contention, shifted their focus for the final day. Director Junozot made his intentions clear: “We’ll do everything possible to win the stage.” In other words, they weren’t going home empty-handed.

 

 

For the first time in its three-year history, the Mynavi Tour de Kyushu featured a course spanning two prefectures, Miyazaki and Oita. At the start line at Nobeoka City Hall, Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) — riding his final professional race — and Francisco Mancebo, who had announced his departure from the team at season’s end, were warmly sent off with a guard of honor by their fellow riders.

 

From the start, the race was marked by repeated attacks, keeping the peloton on  its toes. Shimano Racing was particularly aggressive, with the entire team attempting to break away. Director Nodera explained, “If we’re racing at the highest level in Japan, we must leave a mark. For us, the only way to create opportunities is by joining the break.” However, teams high in the general classification were unwilling to allow it, contesting the intermediate sprint at 19 km for valuable bonus seconds.

 

 

Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies) crossed the intermediate sprint first. Soon after, four riders formed the day’s first breakaway group.

 

The quartet stayed together over the first Category 3 climb, but TotalEnergies led the main group to close the gap on the descent, reabsorbing them soon after.

At the intermediate sprint in Kamae (76 km to go), Intermarché–Wanty led the peloton, but Henok Mulubrhan (XDS–Astana) slipped through to take the sprint and bonus seconds. Following that contest, the peloton briefly eased, allowing a new breakaway of seven riders to form.

 

On the following Category 2 climb, the main group again increased the pace, catching some of the breakaway riders and forming a 15-man chase group. The large peloton, led by Solution Tech Vini Fantini, continued to push and eventually caught them before entering the Saiki City circuit, regrouping the field.

As sprinter teams began to organize, TotalEnergies and Team UKYO, both lacking pure sprinters, tried several short uphill attacks, but none proved decisive.

 

 

With 16 km to go, Kosuke Takeyama (Utsunomiya Blitzen) — the previous day’s Best Japanese Rider — launched a solo attack, but was caught at 13 km to go. Immediately after, Juan Pedro Lozano Navarro (Terengganu Cycling Team) countered, gaining 30 seconds with 6 km remaining. The peloton, still controlled by Solution Tech Vini Fantini, ramped up the pace as sprint teams began to chase, but Navarro resisted fiercely.

 

 

With 6 km remaining, Navarro gained a 30-second lead and continued his solo breakaway. The peloton, which had been controlled up to that point by the overall leader’s team, Solution Tech Vini Fantini, began to pick up the pace as the sprinters’ teams worked to close the gap — but Navarro put up a strong fight to hold them off.

 

 

With 1 km to go, Navarro still held a 7-second lead, but the powerful chase by TotalEnergies reeled him in with 300 meters remaining. Geoffrey Soupe launched his sprint, battling with the previous day’s winner, Dries De Pooter (Intermarché–Wanty), but it was Henok Mulubrhan who surged from behind in the final 100 meters to take the win. It was a close sprint, yet Mulubrhan crossed the line with both arms raised in triumph.

 

 

Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech Vini Fantini), who finished safely within the main peloton, secured the overall victory at the Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2025.

Among the five WorldTeams and ProTeams that participated in the race, four of them captured a win at some point during the event. TotalEnergies, though missing out on a stage victory, left a strong impression with their consistently aggressive and spirited racing throughout the tour.

“As it stands today, the world of road racing has become very orderly and uniform,” said Sports Director Genauzeau on the morning of the stage. “We want to find joy in racing more freely and aggressively, in expressing ourselves on the road. Most of the time, the spectators appreciate that kind of racing. It’s been our philosophy and our identity since the team’s founding.”

 

 

Meanwhile, everyone who watched the three days of racing understood that it was Yukiya Arashiro who supported Tsarenko’s overall victory. He probably spent more time at the front of the peloton than anyone else during the event. On this day, just when it seemed he had dropped to the back on a climb, he was once again at the front, pulling the group.

 

 

Throughout this season, Arashiro has left a strong impression in races across Japan. The 41-year-old veteran has brought change to his new team by sharing his experience. His contribution to the victory here in Kyushu can be seen as one example of that. Arashiro described his own strength as follows:

“My strength lies in being able to maintain high power on the flat for two or three hours, and controlling the peloton during that time is something the other riders on the team cannot do. By using my strength, the team can win. Until now, this team had never achieved 20 victories in a season. By joining and organizing the riders, I can increase our chances of winning, so the team trusts me, and that is why I am here.

A team needs helpers. In today’s WorldTeams, roles are clearly defined: helpers, late-race specialists, and leaders. Previously, in this team, roles were much vaguer, and there was no real plan. But when I clarify the roles—‘You do this, you do that’—the riders know when to push and can give their best. I feel this is why our results have steadily improved, and I think we will continue in a positive direction next year.”

Within one peloton, some teams maintain an unchanging identity and style, while others achieve success amid change. If world-class road racing is about competing with diverse values and cultures, then this year in Kyushu certainly reflected that. The Kyushu environment continues to captivate excellent riders, and we can only hope that challenging yet beautiful races will continue there in the future.

 

Miyazaki–Oita Stage (Stage 3) Results
1st – Henok Mulubrhan (XDS–Astana) 2h 36m 06s
2nd – Dries De Pooter (Intermarché–Wanty)
3rd – Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies)

 

Individual General Classification

1st – Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech–Vini Fantini) 8h 01m 15s
2nd – Rein Taaramäe (Kinan Racing Team) +4s
3rd – Niccolò Garibbo (TEAM UKYO) +49s

 

 

Comment from Henok Mulubrhan, stage winner and points classification leader:

“In Fukuoka, I miscalculated and let a rider get away, and in Kumamoto Aso I missed out on the win. Our team has strong riders, so a victory was needed. Today’s win is truly deserved by the team. My teammates also helped during the intermediate sprints, which I think helped improve my overall standing, but first of all, I want to celebrate this stage victory.”

 

Comment from Gerard Ledesma, Young Rider Classification leader:

“I thought that even gaining one second could improve my overall standing, so I went for the intermediate sprint and managed to earn one second of bonus time. I also finished 6th in the stage, and my teammate Benja finished 7th, which I think was a good result. The level of racing in Japan is high, and for now, I hope to continue training here. I don’t know what the future holds, but someday I’d like to ride in the Tour de France…!”

 

Comment from Hijiri Oda, King of the Mountains (KOM) leader:

“My primary goal today was to finish safely, and, I tried to see if I could go for a result. With the world and pro teams controlling the race, I think it was safer than usual, but my positioning wasn’t great.”

Comment from Best Japanese Rider, Tetsuo Yamamoto:

“I was riding solo, so I wanted to stay in the wheels of Astana or TotalEnergies, but around the last 400 meters I got pushed out once, which led to this result. If I had been able to stay in, I feel I might have managed around 3rd place, but I still lack the ability. I’m happy to be recognized, but I won’t be satisfied with this—I want to keep improving so I can make it onto the podium.”