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12th Tour of Japan - 2.2

Japan, May 18-25, 2008

Main Page    Results   Overall standings    Previous Stage   Next Stage

Stage 4 - May 21: Shimohisakata circuit race, 155.3km

Clarke takes third stage victory for Australia

By Miwako Sasaki

Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com-AIS)
Photo ©: Hitoshi Omae
(Click for larger image)

SouthAustralia.com-AIS's Simon Clarke took the 4th stage of the Tour of Japan in Miniami Shinshu over a hilly circuit ahead of Japanese champion Yukiya Arashiro (Meitan Hompo-GDR). The U23 Australian champion was too strong for Arashiro nad team-mate Cameron Meyer in the sprint to the line. Overnight leader Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com-AIS) finished fifth on the stage to hold on to his overall lead by just one second to Meyer.

"It was basically five kilometres up, five kilometres down and two kilometres across," said Clarke. "It was bloody hard and everyone was so tired at the finish it was more of a grovel for the finish line than a sprint.

"I stayed away over the top of the climb, but with about five kilometres to go I got caught by a group of around a dozen riders, including Wes (Sulzberger) and Cam (Meyer). That gave us the manpower to go with all the last ditch attacks and in the end I managed to score the win."

Team Director Brian Stephens said the aim today was to defend the positions of Sulzberger and Meyer by going on the attack and that tactic paid off for Clarke at the finish.

"Simon didn't have to do any work in the break because he was protecting our lead," said Stephens. "That meant he had pretty fresh legs at the end when the break had been caught and could go for the win."

How it unfolded

And plenty of suffering
Photo ©: Hitoshi Omae
(Click for larger image)

90 riders started from Iida station in Minami Shinshu under clear skies. At 10 laps to go, Japanese rider Takashi Miyazawa, a stage winner last year, attacked from the peloton quickly building a 30 second advantage. He was joined by Clarke, Maxim Gourov (A-Style Somn), Vincenzo Garofalo (Nippo-Endeka), Yoshiyiki Abe (Skil-Shimano) and the blue point jersey Taiji Nishitani (Aisan Racing Team) with nine laps to go.

With three laps remaining the gap from the leaders to the peloton was still hovering at one minute. Garofalo accelerated on the climb with Clarke the only one able to follow. The two leaders had an advantage of 1'30 back to the chase group, but as they began the final lap, only Clarke was able to maintain the pace, leading the race alone.

The chase group of 11 riders, including race leader Sulzberger, finally caught Clarke during the final lap. After leaving the hilly circuit for the flat finale mountain's leader, Arashiro attacked the group with one kilometre to go, but Clarke was stuck to his wheel like glue and easily passed him to take the stage.

Tour of Japan has a transfer day tomorrow and the rider will try to the individual mountain time trial of 11.4 km in Mount Fuji on Friday. The average of the gradient is 10.5 %.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Hitoshi Omae/PhotoSport International UK, USA, ASIA

Results

1 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                3.53.27
2 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                        
3 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                      
4 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                         
5 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                  
6 Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) A-Style Somn                           
7 Vicenzo Garofalo (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                             
8 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling                                
9 Mariusz Witecki (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                         
10 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                                
11 Jai Crawford (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team              
12 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                         0.12
13 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                1.01
14 Alexandre Aulas (Fra) A-Style Somn                             
15 Timo Albiez (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas                  
16 Rhys Pollock (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team              
17 Seok Kyu Suh (Kor) Seoul Cycling                               
18 Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello              
19 Takayuki Naganuma (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                
20 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                                 
21 Simone Bruson (Ita) A-Style Somn                               
22 Robert Rodosz (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                          
23 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                          
24 Devis Miorin (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                                
25 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                               
26 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                             1.52
27 Masahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                     
28 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                             
29 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                             
30 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                           
31 Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello        
32 Michael Haiser (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas               
33 Masaki Hirabayashi (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                    
34 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    2.45
35 Wojciech Pawlak (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                        
36 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                      
37 Tetsuya Fujioka (Jpn) Team JBCF                                
38 Ki Hong Yoo (Kor) Seoul Cycling                                
39 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                         
40 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    2.55
41 Piotr Chmielewski (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                  8.36
42 Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                     10.20
43 Aristide Ratti (Ita) A-Style Somn                              
44 Maxim Gourov (Kaz) A-Style Somn                                
45 Won Jae Lee (Kor) Seoul Cycling                                
46 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team              
47 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                 12.36
48 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                          
49 Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                         
50 Sung Baek Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling                        13.19
51 Gu Hyeon Kim (Kor) Seoul Cycling                          16.42
52 Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                           17.01
53 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor               
54 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                   
55 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                    
56 Yoshimasa Hirose (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                            
57 Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                              
58 Kohei Tsusue (Jpn) Team JBCF                                   
59 Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF                                  
60 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                          
61 Kenta Onoguchi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                             
62 Takashi Nakayama (Jpn) Team JBCF                               
63 Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello               
64 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                  
65 Masayuki Kimura (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                            
66 Masafumi Nishitani (Jpn) Team JBCF                             
67 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                            
68 Marcin Gebka (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                           
69 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                              
70 Peter Andres (Swi) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas                 
71 Masafumi Yamane (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                       
72 Sano Junya (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                                  
73 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello              
74 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                  
75 Genta Nakamura (Jpn) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team            
76 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                               
77 Sylvain Georges (Fra) A-Style Somn                        21.44
78 William Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                 41.44
79 Rogelio Carvalho (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello            
80 Marco Weilenmann (Swi) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas             
81 Yoshiaki Sudou (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                        
82 Asa Eazu (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                              
83 Benjamin Stauder (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas             
84 Ikuo Hosoki (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                                
85 Hiroshi Nara (Jpn) Team JBCF                                   
86 Tomoyuki Kaneda (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                       
DNF Mitsuhiro Matsumura (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                     
DNF Masaru Fukuhara (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                 
DNF Mark Jamieson (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                    
DNF Dimitri Jiriakov (Lie) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas            
 
General classification after stage 4
 
1 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS          13.28.05
2 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                  0.01
3 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    0.26
4 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling                            0.30
5 Mariusz Witecki (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                     0.34
6 Jai Crawford (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team           0.37
7 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                     1.29
8 Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) A-Style Somn                       1.39
9 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                             1.41
10 Vicenzo Garofalo (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                            
11 Devis Miorin (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                            1.54
12 Alexandre Aulas (Fra) A-Style Somn                             
13 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                           1.57
14 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                         2.07
15 Rhys Pollock (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team          2.23
16 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                2.24
17 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                             2.28
18 Robert Rodosz (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                      2.38
19 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                             2.42
20 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                      
21 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                      2.46
22 Masahiro Shinagawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                 2.48
23 Timo Albiez (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas              3.01
24 Seok Kyu Suh (Kor) Seoul Cycling                               
25 Takayuki Naganuma (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                
26 Keisuke Kamata (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello              
27 Simone Bruson (Ita) A-Style Somn                               
28 Yoshimitsu Hiratsuka (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello    3.52
29 Keita Iwashima (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                             
30 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                             
31 Michael Haiser (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas           4.00
32 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                  4.23
33 Wojciech Pawlak (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                    4.26
34 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    4.40
35 Ki Hong Yoo (Kor) Seoul Cycling                            4.45
36 Tetsuya Fujioka (Jpn) Team JBCF                                
37 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    4.53
38 Kenichi Suzuki (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                     8.45
39 Piotr Chmielewski (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                 10.36
40 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                      11.47
41 Maxim Gourov (Kaz) A-Style Somn                           12.39
42 Naoki Mukaigawa (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                     13.23
43 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team         13.37
44 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                     13.41
45 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                 14.36
46 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor              17.38
47 Hideya Akiyama (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                    18.01
48 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS             18.51
49 Gu Hyeon Kim (Kor) Seoul Cycling                          18.54
50 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                          18.59
51 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor               19.01
52 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                          
53 Kenta Onoguchi (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                             
54 Takashi Nakayama (Jpn) Team JBCF                               
55 Sano Junya (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                                  
56 Yoshimasa Hirose (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                            
57 Yosuke Kojima (Jpn) Team JBCF                                  
58 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                  
59 Kaoru Obata (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                           19.12
60 Kohei Tsusue (Jpn) Team JBCF                              19.13
61 Masafumi Yamane (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                  19.28
62 Marcin Gebka (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                      19.53
63 Aristide Ratti (Ita) A-Style Somn                         20.41
64 Genta Nakamura (Jpn) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team       21.19
65 Masafumi Nishitani (Jpn) Team JBCF                        22.11
66 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor          22.49
67 Won Jae Lee (Kor) Seoul Cycling                           23.05
68 Ikki Yoneyama (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello          26.56
69 Sung Baek Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling                        31.33
70 Sylvain Georges (Fra) A-Style Somn                        34.53
71 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                       35.12
72 Masaki Hirabayashi (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant               36.03
73 Peter Andres (Swi) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas            39.07
74 Rogelio Carvalho (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello       43.44
75 Masayuki Kimura (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                       51.12
76 Yasuhiro Nito (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                         55.22
77 Tomoyuki Kaneda (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                1.00.57
78 Kazunari Asano (Jpn) Pearl Izumi Sumita Ravanello       1.02.41
79 Yoshiaki Sudou (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                 1.11.22
80 William Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS               1.16.07
81 Benjamin Stauder (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas      1.23.46
82 Asa Eazu (Jpn) Team Comrade Giant                       1.23.50
83 Marco Weilenmann (Swi) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas      1.25.35
84 Tomoya Sano (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                       1.28.41
85 Ikuo Hosoki (Jpn) Nalsima Frend                         1.31.57
86 Hiroshi Nara (Jpn) Team JBCF                            1.51.57
 
Points classification
 
1 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                       32 pts
2 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                29
3 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                    27
4 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                      19
5 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                   17
6 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                     15
7 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                 15
8 Robert Rodosz (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                         15
9 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                                13
10 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    11
11 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling                             11
12 Benjamin Stauder (Ger) Stegcomputer - CKT - Cogeas           10
13 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                            8
14 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                       8
15 Vicenzo Garofalo (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                           8
16 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                     8
17 Alberto Di Lorenzo (Ita) A-Style Somn                         7
18 Sung Baek Park (Kor) Seoul Cycling                            6
19 Alexandre Aulas (Fra) A-Style Somn                            5
20 Mariusz Witecki (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                       4
21 Devis Miorin (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                               4
22 Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                       4
23 Aristide Ratti (Ita) A-Style Somn                             4
24 Wojciech Pawlak (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                       3
25 Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team                         3
26 Marcin Gebka (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                          3
27 Masahiko Mifune (Jpn) Matrix Powertag                         2
28 Jai Crawford (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team             1
29 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                               1
30 Masamichi Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor              1
 
Mountains classification
 
1 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                      22 pts
2 Vicenzo Garofalo (Ita) Nippo-Endeka                           22
3 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                     10
4 Hyo Suk Gong (Kor) Seoul Cycling                               8
5 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Nippo-Endeka                                 6
6 Mariusz Witecki (Pol) Mroz Action Uniqa                        5
7 Akira Kakinuma (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor                   4
8 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                 3
9 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR                    3
10 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS                     3
11 Jai Crawford (Aus) Trek - Marco Polo Cycling Team             2
12 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Skil-Shimano                              2
 
Teams classification
 
1 South Australia .com-AIS                                40.26.36
2 Nippo-Endeka                                                2.08
3 Aisan Racing Team                                           3.47
4 Skil-Shimano                                                3.57
5 A-Style Somn                                                4.13
6 Meitan Hompo-GDR                                            5.12
7 Mroz Action Uniqa                                           5.21
8 Seoul Cycling                                               5.55
9 Trek-Marco Polo Cycling Team                               12.59
10 Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello                               23.33
11 Stegcomputer-CKT-Cogeas                                   31.36
12 Team Bridgestone Anchor                                   37.19
13 Nalsima Frend                                             39.33
14 Team JBCF                                                 40.26
15 Matrix Powertag                                         1.05.15
16 Team Comrade Giant                                      1.29.10