5th Tour of Japan - 2.4

Japan, May 21-28, 2000

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Stage 1 - May 21: Osaka Sakai Senboku Circuit 140.8 km

Poles take command in first stage

By Miwako Sisaki*

Polish rider Jacek Mickiewicz, a good sprinter from Mroz-Supradyn, won the first stage of the 5th edition of the Tour of Japan in a bunch sprint. He also took the overall green leader's jersey and the blue points leader's jersey as a result.

100 riders started the circuit course (12.8km x 11 laps) in Sakai city, which is the hometown of the Shimano company. The weather was fine, but a little bit hot.

At 300 m to go, on the last corner, Mickiewicz was on the wheel of New Zealander Greame Miller (G Man), and he was able to pass Miller and finished first.

He said before the start that "I am a little sprinter" in an interview with Japanese Cycle Sports Magazine. But he wasn't little. Mroz came to Japan just last night, one day late from their schedule, because they experienced delays at Warchawa. So they were suffering some jet lag, and they had done no training in the past three days, however all of their riders are in form.

There was a sprint points competition, at 3 laps, 6 laps and 9 laps on the start/finish line and there were bonus times for the overall classification. Mroz dominated the racing, and Piotr Wadecki got the first and third sprint points. He took second place at the second sprint point, behind Australian Scott McGrory (Gerolsteiner), so he took the yellow sprint competition jersey.

"Today's race is not so hard because it was flat, no mountains. I think the race starts tomorrow, because tomorrow's stage is tough. And so, today we tried to work for our sprinter, Mickiewicz, he is very good sprinter, and he won the stage " said Wadecki at the post race interview. "And today, I sprinted (for sprint points) not just for the yellow point jersey, but also for bonus times, because I wanted 2nd in the overall classification. It's very important for me."

Tomorrow, he wears a yellow jersey, the same as last week when he won the Peace Race. But now, his real target is a green one.

*Miwako Sisaki is a journalist for the Japanese Cycle Sport magazine, and provided the reports for this race last year.

Results

1 Jacek Mickiewicz (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn                 3.00.51 (46.71 km/h)
2 Baden Cooke (Aus) Australia
3 Graeme Miller (NZl) New Zealand
4 Zoran Klemencic (Slo) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
5 Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner
6 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
7 Junichi Shibuya (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
8 Nicola Minali (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
9 Scott McGrory (Aus) Team Gerolsteiner
10 Glen Mitchell (NZl) New Zealand
11 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
12 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Shimano Racing
13 Shinji Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
14 Morgan Fox (Irl) Tonissteiner-Colnago
15 Bjorn Cornelissen (Ned) Tonissteiner-Colnago
16 Niclas Ekstrom (Swe) Tonissteiner-Colnago
17 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
18 Richard Faltus (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
19 Dae-Hong Chun (Kor) Korea
20 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Tonissteiner-Colnago
21 Takeshi Okamoto (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
22 Kyoshi Miura (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
23 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
24 Naoki Takamura (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
25 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Shimano Racing
26 Hisafumi Imanishi (Jpn) Shimano Racing
27 Koichi Tetsusawa (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
28 Ken Akita (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
29 Tomokazu Fujino (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
30 Mikhail Andreyef (Kaz) Kazakstan
31 Andreas Walzer (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
32 Jonas Emmanuelson (Swe) Tonissteiner-Colnago
33 Hitoshi Takahashi (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
34 Hiroshi Sakaguchi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
35 Koji Nagano (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
36 Bryce Shapley (NZl) New Zealand
37 Warren Clark (NZl) New Zealand
38 Masakazu Mori (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
39 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
40 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Shimano Racing
41 Naokiyo Hashisako (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
42 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
43 Mitsuteru Tanaka (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
44 Brendan Vesty (NZl) New Zealand
45 Eiko Takahashi (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
46 Grzegorz Wajs (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
47 Tae-Chan Chang (Kor) Korea
48 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
49 Daniel Loprais (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
50 Kairat Baigudinov (Kaz) Kazakstan
51 Petr Bencik (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
52 Masahiro Yasuhara (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
53 Osamu Kurimura (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
54 Kojiro Nakagawa (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
55 Scott Guyton (NZl) New Zealand
56 Steve Gaffney (Can) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
57 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
58 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
59 Nic Brown (Aus) Australia
60 Taiji Tanaka (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
61 Andreas Sauerborn (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
62 Guido Trentin (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
63 Mikhail Teteryuk (Kaz) Kazakstan
64 Yasuhiro Nakajima (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
65 Tetsuya Okada (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
66 Kozo Fujita (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
67 Leandro Fioroni (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
68 Daniele Righi (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
69 Giacomo Battistel (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
70 Scott Davis (Aus) Australia
71 Dariusz Skoczylas (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
72 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
73 Eugen Wacker (Kgz) Mroz-Supradyn
74 Michael Rogers (Aus) Australia
75 Thomas Muhlbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner
76 Allan Davis (Aus) Australia
77 Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec        0.19
78 Kazimierz Stafiej (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
79 In-Chan Park (Kor) Korea
80 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Shimano Racing
81 Maxim Gurov (Kaz) Kazakstan
82 Hideto Yukinari (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
83 Gunther Cuylits (Bel) Tonissteiner-Colnago
84 Koki Shinbo (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
85 Kyung-Jin Kim (Kor) Korea                            0.27
86 Jaroslav Bilek (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ                  0.29
87 Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
88 Vadim Kravchenko (Kaz) Kazakstan
89 Kentaro Eshita (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team   0.41
90 Stanislav Tancer (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
91 Daisuke Sakuta (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
92 Allan Iacuone (Aus) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
93 Ho Chon (Kor) Korea
94 Nobuo Tamaki (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
95 Daisuke Nakayama (Jpn)  Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
96 Osamu Sumida (Jpn) Shimano Racing
97 Ben Godridge (Aus) Australia
98 Pavel Nevdakh (Kaz) Kazakstan                        0.57
99 Jae-Min Ha (Kor) Korea
100 Yuichi Numata (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team   2.02

General classification after stage 1:

1 Jacek Mickiewicz (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn                3.00.40 
2 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn                      0.03 
3 Baden Cooke (Aus) Australia                            0.04
4 Graeme Miller (NZl) New Zealand                        0.07
5 Scott McGrory (Aus) Team Gerolsteiner                  0.08
6 Glen Mitchell (NZl) New Zealand                        0.09
7 Zoran Klemencic (Slo) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec          0.11
8 Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner
9 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
10 Junichi Shibuya (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
11 Nicola Minali (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
12 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Shimano Racing
13 Shinji Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
14 Morgan Fox (Irl) Tonissteiner-Colnago
15 Bjorn Cornelissen (Ned) Tonissteiner-Colnago
16 Niclas Ekstrom (Swe) Tonissteiner-Colnago
17 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
18 Richard Faltus (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
19 Dae-Hong Chun (Kor) Korea
20 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Tonissteiner-Colnago
21 Takeshi Okamoto (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
22 Kyoshi Miura (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
23 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
24 Naoki Takamura (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
25 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Shimano Racing
26 Hisafumi Imanishi (Jpn) Shimano Racing
27 Koichi Tetsusawa (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
28 Ken Akita (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
29 Tomokazu Fujino (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
30 Mikhail Andreyef (Kaz) Kazakstan
31 Andreas Walzer (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
32 Jonas Emmanuelson (Swe) Tonissteiner-Colnago
33 Hitoshi Takahashi (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
34 Hiroshi Sakaguchi (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
35 Koji Nagano (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
36 Bryce Shapley (NZl) New Zealand
37 Warren Clark (NZl) New Zealand
38 Masakazu Mori (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
39 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
40 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Shimano Racing
41 Naokiyo Hashisako (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
42 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
43 Mitsuteru Tanaka (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team
44 Brendan Vesty (NZl) New Zealand
45 Eiko Takahashi (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
46 Grzegorz Wajs (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
47 Tae-Chan Chang (Kor) Korea
48 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
49 Daniel Loprais (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
50 Kairat Baigudinov (Kaz) Kazakstan
51 Petr Bencik (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
52 Masahiro Yasuhara (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
53 Osamu Kurimura (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
54 Kojiro Nakagawa (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
55 Scott Guyton (NZl) New Zealand
56 Steve Gaffney (Can) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
57 Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
58 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
59 Nic Brown (Aus) Australia
60 Taiji Tanaka (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
61 Andreas Sauerborn (Ger) Team Gerolsteiner
62 Guido Trentin (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
63 Mikhail Teteryuk (Kaz) Kazakstan
64 Yasuhiro Nakajima (Jpn) Kinan Le Soleil
65 Tetsuya Okada (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
66 Kozo Fujita (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
67 Leandro Fioroni (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
68 Daniele Righi (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
69 Giacomo Battistel (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
70 Scott Davis (Aus) Australia
71 Dariusz Skoczylas (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
72 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alexia Alluminio
73 Eugen Wacker (Kgz) Mroz-Supradyn
74 Michael Rogers (Aus) Australia
75 Thomas Muhlbacher (Aut) Team Gerolsteiner
76 Allan Davis (Aus) Australia
77 In-Chan Park (Kor) Korea                             0.29
78 Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec        0.30
79 Kazimierz Stafiej (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn
80 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Shimano Racing
81 Maxim Gurov (Kaz) Kazakstan
82 Hideto Yukinari (Jpn) Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
83 Gunther Cuylits (Bel) Tonissteiner-Colnago
84 Koki Shinbo (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
85 Kyung-Jin Kim (Kor) Korea                            0.38
86 Jaroslav Bilek (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ                  
87 Stefano Della Santa (Ita) Alexia Alluminio           0.40
88 Vadim Kravchenko (Kaz) Kazakstan
89 Kentaro Eshita (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team   0.52
90 Stanislav Tancer (Cze) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
91 Daisuke Sakuta (Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi
92 Allan Iacuone (Aus) Wustenrot-ZVVZ
93 Ho Chon (Kor) Korea
94 Nobuo Tamaki (Jpn) Cheblo Artnature
95 Daisuke Nakayama (Jpn)  Miyata - Subaru Racing Team
96 Osamu Sumida (Jpn) Shimano Racing
97 Ben Godridge (Aus) Australia
98 Pavel Nevdakh (Kaz) Kazakstan                        1.08
99 Jae-Min Ha (Kor) Korea
100 Yuichi Numata (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team Racing Team   2.13

Points classification:

1 Jacek Mickiewicz (Pol) Mroz-Supra      5 pts
2 Baden Cooke (Aus) Australia            4
3 Graeme Miller (NZl) New Zealand        3
4 Zoran Klemencic (Slo) Vini Caldir      2
5 Rene Haselbacher (Aut) Team Gerol      1

Sprints classification:

1 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Mroz-Supradyn     12 pts
2 Scott McGrory (Aus) Team Gerolste      5
3 Glen Mitchell (NZl) New Zealand        2
4 Jaroslav Bilek (Cze) Wustenrot-ZV      2
5 Jacek Mickiewicz (Pol) Mroz-Supra      1
6 Baden Cooke (Aus) Australia            1
7 In-Chan Park (Kor) Korea               1

Teams classification:

1 Mroz-Supradyn                     9.02.14 
2 Australian National Team             0.12 
3 New Zealand National Team            0.13 
4 Team Gerolsteiner                    0.16 
5 Tonissteiner-Colnago                 0.19 
6 Shimano Racing                            
7 Team Bridgestone Anchor                   
7 Aisan Racing Team                         
9 Kinan Le Soleil                           
10 Cheblo Artnature                         
11 Sumita Ravanello Pearlizumi              
12 Vini Caldirola-Sidermec                  
13 Miyata-Subaru Racing Team                
14 Wustenrot-ZVVZ                           
15 Alexia Alluminio                         
15 Kazakstan National Team                  
17 Korea National Team                 0.37