“All-Japan Championships”
I worked my way up to C1 with the dream of racing on that stage one day, and last year I made my debut.
This year marked my second All-Japan. Having already secured my spot for next season, I was able to approach this event with my mindset fully locked in.
The venue was Makino Kogen in Shiga Prefecture. The course required a completely different set of technical skills and power compared to the previous Kansai CX Makino, giving the impression that it demanded pure cyclocross strength, regardless of whether you’re a road cyclist or a mountain biker.
The bike I use for racing is one built by a man we are head-over-heels for: Rick Hunter. It’s my daily companion—I use it for my commute and for weekend rides alike. I race on this bike with the hope that by riding it proudly on such a grand stage, I might convey something to all of you. You can compete on steel, too.
As for the result, I had a good start and jumped up into the high 20s, but after one mistake set me back, I couldn't do anything else, and I keenly felt my lack of power. My goal is always to "finish with a position number lower than my race bib," but I didn't achieve that this time. Still, I left it all out there, so I have no regrets.
There’s talk that they might further thin out Category 1 next year, making the qualification criteria for the All-Japan Championships stricter. To be honest, I was prepared for the possibility that this might be my last, but if I’m able to compete next year, I will definitely complete the race without being pulled under the 80% rule.
Thank you to my teammate Go-san, who went out of his way to come from Nagoya to serve as my pit crew!
Every rider has different sources of motivation and different goals, but I am working hard every day to be a rider who is "strong" rather than just "fast." The cross season is still only at the halfway point. You will likely see the Hunter/SimWorks CX Team and Circles Racing Club jerseys around at various locations in the future. When you do, please be sure to cheer us on.
All-Japan Championships Results (94 starters)
Toyoshige Ikeyama: 49th
Yusuke Yamagishi: 59th
Tomoki Ochiai: 73rd
Thank you all so much for your support once again!
And a big thank you to CRC's Mr. Maekawa, who accompanied us on this trip and captured some wonderful photos. Please make sure to check out his Flickr as well.