The Tour de Fukushima delivered a full weekend of racing, combining a fast 13 km time trial on Saturday with Granfondo and Mediofondo races on Sunday. With more than 250 riders lining up for the time trial and a sold out field of more than 1500 riders across both road events, the weekend also served as a final qualification opportunity for Japanese riders aiming for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Niseko this August.
Kawada and Li set the benchmark in Saturday’s time trial
Saturday’s 13 km out-and-back time trial saw high speeds from the start, with riders pushing hard on the flat and exposed course.
Kyoshiro Kawada clocked the fastest overall time of 17:09, riding at an impressive average speed of 47.23 km/h. He narrowly edged out Naoki Ichimura by just 6 seconds in a tightly contested battle for victory, while Tatsuya Kato completed the overall podium in third place.
In the women’s competition, Si Li delivered a strong performance to take the win in 20:01, averaging 40.46 km/h. She finished 17 seconds ahead of Momoyo Nozaki, with Nakamura Yoko securing third place at 44 seconds.
Omae wins sprint in fast Granfondo finish
Sunday’s Granfondo over 140 km proved fast but challenging, with a large peloton staying together deep into the race. The decisive moment came on the final uphill kilometre into Naraha, where the leading group finally fractured after a day of controlled riding.
More than 50 riders remained in contention before the final climb, but it was Kakeru Omae who timed his effort perfectly, sprinting to victory on the line. He was followed by Taki Masato in second and Kyuto Yoshida in third, all finishing within the same lead group.in an average speed of 41.19 km/h.
Kaneko leads women’s field on Mediofondo course
The women’s race took place on the 80 km Mediofondo course, where Hiromi Kaneko set the fastest overall female time. Riding strongly throughout, she not only claimed victory but also topped her 45–49 age group, finishing with an average speed of 38.25 km/h.
Etsuko Tezuka secured second place, crossing the line 1 minute and 3 seconds behind, while Oishi Yumiko completed the podium at 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
Key qualification opportunity ahead of Niseko
With the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships taking place in Niseko later this summer, the Tour de Fukushima weekend represented a crucial final chance for many Japanese riders to secure their place on the start line.
