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Tour of Japan - 2.2
Japan, May 20-27, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 6 - May 26: Shuzenji Stadium - Japan Cycle Sports Center, 128.5 km
Froome's solo break, Masciarelli holds the lead
By Miwako Sasaki
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Kenyan-born Briton Chris Froome (Team Konica Minolta) won the sixth stage of the 11th Tour of Japan in Izu after a successful solo break. Points jersey competition leader Valentin Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan National Team) finished in second, 40 seconds behind Froome while Italian Francesco Masciarelli (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) kept his green leader's jersey with just one stage remaining.
The sixth stage started in front of Shuzenji station for the first time, and the peloton rode an 8.5 km neutral course from the station to the circuit at Japan Cycle Sports Center which featured a very hilly 8km section. Andrea Masciarell (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) - brother of race leader Francesco - fell on the circuit breaking his hand and was forced to abandon the race.
How it unfolded
On the first of 14 laps on the circuit, Froome jumped from the peloton. Two Kazakhs, Alexandr Dyachenko and Andrey Medyanikov (Kazakhstan National Team), and Alessandro Donati (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) caught Froome - along with Yukiya Arashiro and Koji Fukushima (Nippo Corporation) and Kazuyuki Manabe (Team JBCF). The eight-man break gained a 50 second advantage on the peloton, which was controlled by French sprinter Aurelien Passeron of 'la squadra rossa' Acqua e Sappone.
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Arashiro attacked the break just before the mountain point at seven laps to go, and Donati immediately followed the Japanese rider. The two gained 20 seconds on the other breakaways and 1'20 to the peloton with five laps to go, but they were eventually caught by the two Kazakhs as well as Froome and Fukushima.
Froome was next to attack. Indeed, the hot weather appear to suit the Konica Minolta rider. ''In Kenya and South Africa, the temperature like today is average," Froome said after the finish. "The hot weather was advantageous for me."
Twenty-two year-old Froome still had 40-seconds to the chasing group on the final laps and kept his advantage until the finish. ''Today is a very important day for my team," he continued. "Today I tried to get something to the team and specially to Konica Minolta, a Japanese Company.''
Ater Saturday's stage, Francesco Masciarelli is almost assured the title in the 2007 Tour of Japan but the Italian was instead focused on his brother's well-being. ''The stage was good and a tough one," he said. "And I was worried about my brother during the race... I thank to my team today. Without their work, I couldn't keep my jersey.''
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Miwako Sasaki
- Italian squad Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo pose together at the start.
- A special bike for the mountains for Alessandro Donati (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo).
- Donati checks out a traditional Japanese drum.
- The SouthAustralia.com/AIS boys get set for Stage 6.
- Race leader Francesco Masciarelli (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) in green lines up next to Valentin Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan National Team).
- Many spectators await the start outside Shuzenji station.
- The peloton starts in front of the Shuzenji station.
- The eight-man break climbs during the first circuit.
- Aurelien Passeron (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) leads the peloton up the climb.
- Valentin Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan National Team) is the points leader.
- Masciarelli and Iglinskiy climb together.
- Alessandro Donati (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) attacks with Yukiya Arashiro (Nippo Corporation) on his wheel.
- Chris Froome (Team Konica Minolta) chases on the hill with two Kazakh riders.
- Chris Froome wins the sixth stage in Izu.
- Stage winner Chris Froome smiles to the TV camera.
- The podium on Stage 6 at the Tour of Japan.
- Plenty of prizes for stage winner Chris Froome.
- Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan National Team) gets the red mountains jersey while Valentin Iglinskiy keeps his blue points jersey.
- Francesco Masciarelli (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) retained the race lead but was more concerned about his brother who was hospitalised after a crash during today's stage.
Results
1 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 3.52.26 2 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0.41 3 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 4 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 6 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 7 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 8 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 9 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 10 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 11 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 12 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team 13 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse 14 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0.50 15 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 0.56 16 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 17 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 1.03 18 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 1.05 19 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 1.15 20 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 1.59 21 Norihide Murayama (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 2.46 22 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 4.30 23 Chun Hing Chan (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 5.50 24 Aleksey Lyalko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 25 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 5.56 26 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 27 Mitsunari Mitaki (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 5.59 28 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 29 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 30 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 6.09 31 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 6.15 32 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 33 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 34 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 8.45 35 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend 9.04 36 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 13.40 37 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 38 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 39 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 40 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 13.47 41 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 42 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 16.30 DNF Masanari Komuro (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag DNF Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team DNF Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Cameron Meyer (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS DNF Jay Thompson (RSA) Team Konica Minolta DNF Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo DNF Jumpei Murakami (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Matrix Powertag DNF Shinya Oba (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Kaoru Ouchi (Jpn) Skil - Shimano DNF Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello DNF Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor DNF Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada DNF Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag DNF Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag DNF Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello DNF Hitoshi Urushizawa (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling DNF Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team DNF Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Skil - Shimano DNF Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team DNF Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend DNF Arthur Ayers (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello DNF Christof Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta DNF Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag DNF Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team DNF Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF DNF Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team DNF Takamitu Tsuji (Jpn) Skil - Shimano DNF Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello DNF Sean Finning (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS DNF René Schild (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend DNF Gang Xu (Chn) Hong Kong Pro Cycling DNF Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS DNF Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Christian Lademann (Ger) Team Sparkasse DNF Miles Olman (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS DNF Kin San Wu (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling DNF Hideo Yoshida (Jpn) Nalsima Frend DNF Keita Onishi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend DNF Hisanori Akiyama (Jpn) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team DNF Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo General classification after stage 6 1 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 19.38.39 2 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 1.57 3 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 2.24 4 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 2.25 5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 2.29 6 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 3.33 7 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 3.36 8 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 3.55 9 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse 4.14 10 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 11 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 4.45 12 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 5.01 13 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team 5.11 14 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 6.29 15 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 6.34 16 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 6.38 17 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 9.21 18 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 9.50 19 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 10.28 20 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 10.34 21 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 12.27 22 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 14.39 23 Chun Hing Chan (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 16.48 24 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 16.52 25 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend 20.07 26 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 20.25 27 Aleksey Lyalko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 20.37 28 Mitsunari Mitaki (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 28.21 29 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 23.48 30 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 23.53 31 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 24.46 32 Norihide Murayama (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 26.06 33 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 28.15 34 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 28.57 35 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 29.47 36 Dennis Van Niekerk (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 30.12 37 Ken Hashikawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 32.17 38 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 32.38 39 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 34.00 40 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 36.25 41 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 38.46 42 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 43.52 43 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Team JBCF 44.15 44 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 45.18 45 René Schild (Ger) Team Sparkasse 45.53 46 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 49.51 47 Shinya Oba (Jpn) Team JBCF 50.27 48 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 51.30 49 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend 52.24 50 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 53.03 51 Cameron Meyer (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 53.14 52 Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse 53.38 53 Masanari Komuro (Jpn) Team JBCF 54.58 54 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 56.14 55 Yuzuru Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 56.32 56 Jay Thompson (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 57 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 56.53 58 Christof Van Heerden (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 59.04 59 Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 59.25 60 Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF 59.34 61 Kaoru Ouchi (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 1.00.45 62 Ho Ting Kwok (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 1.02.03 63 Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend 1.08.27 64 Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 1.08.36 65 Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 1.12.23 66 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 1.13.20 67 Sean Finning (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 1.17.36 68 Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 1.27.16 69 Gang Xu (Chn) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 1.32.12 70 Jumpei Murakami (Jpn) Team JBCF 1.35.01 71 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 1.38.00 72 Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 1.38.18 73 Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 1.44.07 74 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 1.44.47 75 Christian Lademann (Ger) Team Sparkasse 1.54.03 76 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 2.03.14 77 Arthur Ayers (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 2.06.04 78 Hitoshi Urushizawa (Jpn) Team JBCF 2.09.24 79 Takamitu Tsuji (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 2.11.34 80 Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 2.16.31 81 Miles Olman (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 2.39.47 82 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 2.41.27 Points classification 1 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 61 pts 2 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 31 3 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 29 4 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 27 5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 24 6 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 22 7 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 18 8 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 18 9 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 17 10 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 15 11 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 12 12 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 12 13 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 10 14 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag 10 15 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 7 16 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 6 17 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 6 18 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 5 19 Shinpei Fukuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 5 20 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 4 21 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 4 22 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 3 23 René Schild (Ger) Team Sparkasse 3 24 Jonas Owczarek (Ger) Team Sparkasse 3 25 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 2 26 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team 2 27 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 2 28 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 1 29 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend 1 Mountains classification 1 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 22 pts 2 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 19 3 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 18 4 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 15 5 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 12 6 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 12 7 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 12 8 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 12 9 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 8 10 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 8 11 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 7 12 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 5 13 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 5 14 Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 5 15 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 5 16 Andrea Rossi (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 5 17 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 3 18 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 3 19 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 3 20 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 2 21 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 2 22 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 1
