10th Japan Cup - 1.3

Utsunomiya, Japan, October 28, 2001

2000 Results    Results    Past winners

Simoni finishes season with a win

By Miwako Sasaki, Japanese Cyclesport

Simoni
Photo: © AFP

Italian Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Daikin) won the 10th Japan Cup after a solo break with two laps to go. Simoni, who was this year's Giro winner, came to Japan with his fiancee who watched him take his last win of the season.

It began to rain at the start, and gradually got worse. The weather conditions were like last year, and it was quite cold (12 degrees) at the top of the mountain). 78 riders started the race, and were cheered on by a good crowd, despite the weather.

On lap 3, there was the first mountain prime at the top of the climb, situated 2 kilometres from the start/finish. Japanese Koki Shinbo (Asian Ind.Racing Team) attacked from the peloton and his compatriot Koji Fukushima (Sumita Ravanello-Peal Izumi) followed him. Shinbo won a first mountain prime and the two Japanese rides had 2'32 advantage over the peloton at the end of the third lap.

On lap 5, two Post Swiss Team riders, Aurelien Clerc and Swiss Champion Martin Elmiger attacked and chased the two Japanese riders on the descent. They quickly caught the first two and Shinbo was dropped. The three riders still had 1'04 to the peloton which had broken up now.

The rain didn't deter the spectators
Photo: © Miwako Sasaki

On the sixth lap, the second mountain prime was won by Fukushima. Marco Serpellini (Lampre), Glenn D'Hollander (Lotto) and Chris Peers (Cofidis) chased the first group and Australian Cadel Evans (Saeco) and Gilberto Simoni followed them on the hill. The three front riders had 33 seconds to Serpellini's group and 1'42 to Simoni's group at the end of the sixth lap.

On the climb of the seventh lap, Swiss Champion Elmiger attacked solo from the first group. He continued to ride away for the next two laps, and took the final mountain prime on lap 9. Post Swiss quits sponsoring at the end of this season, and the team is searching for a new sponsor for next season now. That was the reason that Post Swiss riders were trying to get a good result in this race.

Peers, Serpellini, D'Hollander and Fukushima followed the Swiss, but they got caught by Simoni's group, now up to about 12 riders. Elmiger was caught by the main group on 10 lap, and Simoni finally attacked solo.

Evans, Simoni, Brandt
Photo: © AFP

At the beginning of the final lap, Simoni was 2 seconds in front of Christophe Brandt (Lotto), and 10 seconds ahead of 8 riders including Evans. Simoni continued to attack and dramatically won the race in front a lot of his 'tifosi'. This is the first time that a Grand Tour winner has won this race in its 10 year history.

Evans took second place, 55 seconds behind Simoni, and Brandt was 3rd."I'm happy with my result, coming second to Simoni, because he's really strong and I did everything I could," Evans said after the race.

Photography

Photo's by AFP, Miwako Sasaki and Nagako Furusawa

• Saeco's Cadel Evans - looking focussed but cold before the start.
• It was raining and cold - at the 10th Japan Cup
• The start - Jorg Ludwig (Saeco) leads them out.
• The peloton - rides past rows of flowers.
• The peloton - power up the climb on the second lap.
• Martin Elmiger (Post Swiss) - during his solo breakaway.
• The final breakaway - Lampre's Massimo Codol leading the way for Gilberto Simoni
• Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Daikin) - leads Christophe Brandt (Lotto-Adecco)
• Gilberto Simoni - ahead of Christophe Brandt on a climb as spectators try to stay dry
• Gilberto Simoni - claims the victory in foul conditions
• Gilberto Simoni - crosses the line amidst the downpour.
• The podium - Cadel Evans (Saeco), Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Daikin), Christophe Brandt (Lotto-Adecco)
• The podium - Cadel Evans (Saeco, 2nd), Gilberto Simoni (Lampre, 1st) and Christophe Brandt (Lotto, 3rd)
• Race winner Gilberto Simoni (Lampre) - signs autographs afterwards

Results - 151.3 km

1 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Daikin         4.16.58 (35.33 km/h)
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Saeco Macchine per Caffe     0.51
3 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Lotto-Adecco        
4 Marco Serpellini (Ita) Lampre-Daikin           1.34
5 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis
6 Chris Peers (Bel) Confidis                     1.35
7 Mederic Clain (Fra) Cofidis
8 Claude Lamour (Fra) Cofidis                    1.39
9 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Confidis
10 Masslmo Codol (Ita) Lampre-Daskin             3.37
11 Guillem Munos (Spa) Rigida
12 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Sumita-Ravanello         7.26
13 Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Saeco                      8.15
14 Stefan Adamsson (Swe) Team Coast              8.16
15 Christian Sidler (Sui) Post Swiss Team
16 Martin Elmiger (Sui) Post Swiss Team          8.17
17 Hisafumi Imanishi (Jpn) Shimano
18 Yoshimasa Hirose (Jpn) Team Bridgestone       8.18
19 Kurt Van de Wouwer (Bel) Lotto-Adecco
20 Junichi Shibuya (Jpn) Team Bridgestone
21 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Shimano                   8.19
22 Anton Chantyr (Rus) Team Coast
23 Kurt Van Lancker (Bel) Lotto-Adecco           8.20
24 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Shimano                     8.22
25 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Adecco          8.23
26 Shinji Suzuki (Jpn) Asian ind. Racing Team    9.05
27 Michael Giebelmann (Ger) Team Coast          10.06

Past winners

2000 Massimo Codol (Ita) Lampre-Daikin
1999 Sergio Barbero (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi
1998 Fabien De Waele (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
1997 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jap) Mapei-GB
1996 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Team Polti
1995 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera Jeans
1994 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera Jeans
1993 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera Jeans
1992 Hendrik Redant (Bel) Lotto