The motorway is in the stadium! JCL2023 Sukumo City Road Race, Kochi Prefecture
On September 24, 2023, "Mitsubishi Estate JCL Pro Road Race Tour 2023 Sukumo City Road Race" was held following the previous year. This time, professional road racers sprinted on the only special course in Japan using motorways.
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Following 2022, JCL official match will be held in Sukumo City.
JCL (Japan Cycle League) is a domestic professional cycle road race league that started in 2021. One of the concepts is "promotion of regional revitalization through bicycles", and community-based teams are members of the league.
The following seven teams have joined the JCL in 2023.
- Kinan Racing Team (Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture)
- Levantefuji Shizuoka (Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
- Saitama Nasu Sunbrave (Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture & Nasu area, Tochigi Prefecture)
- Sparkle Oita Racing Team (Obu City, Oita Prefecture)
- Britzen, Utsunomiya (Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture)
- VC FUKUOKA (Fukuoka Prefecture)
- Viktoir Hiroshima (Hiroshima Prefecture)
Players participate in the Kokusai Motorcars Road Race held in various parts of Japan to compete in technology and compete in skills, while at the same time working to spread cycle road racing competitions.
The official JCL match was held for the first time in Sukumo City, Kochi Prefecture in 2022. The pattern at that time and the course of the JCL Kochi tournament are introduced below.
Hobby Race for Citizens
Prior to the JCL Pro Race, a hobby race was held on the day where general cyclists could participate. The 2023 hobby race consists of 1st to 3rd grade races (1 lap of short course), 4th to 6th grade races (2 laps of short course), junior high school races (3 laps of short course), and 40 minutes enduro (how many laps of short course compete). It was a valuable opportunity to run on a special course where professional racers run on their own bicycles, and many cyclists gathered from inside and outside the prefecture from the morning.
The number of entries is 12 elementary school students, 6 junior high school students, and 33 enduro (high school students and above) for 40 minutes.
A second-grade elementary school girl from Ehime Prefecture (pictured: left) was originally an experienced runbike and is currently working at a local cycling junior club. “I definitely want to win! It will be number one!” he said.
Next is a third-year junior high school boy in Kochi Prefecture.
"I was inspired by my friends in the cycling club, and I also became a hobby of road bikes. On holidays, I ride a long ride alone. I am happy to be able to participate in the Hobby Race for the first time this year. My friends are there, so I want to keep up with you.”
Professional bicycle racers also participated from Kochi City.
"I participated today because I wanted to appeal to Kochi Bicycle Race. Whether it's a road or a track, I hope the cycling competition will be even more exciting. Today’s goal is to finish safely! (laughs)."
Watched by many cheering groups, the hobby race of 1.8km per lap starts! In the hot sunshine, warm cheers were sent to the cyclists running on the course. And the participants showed a magnificent run.
2nd grade girl "The uphill was tough! I'm tired."
A boy in the fifth grade of elementary school "I lost, so I will practice hard and come out next year!" 。
Two boys in the second grade of elementary school "I was nervous running with everyone, but I was able to run happily."
Next was the junior high school race, and the bicycle club of the junior high school integrated school in Kochi City, who performed well in Enduro for 40 minutes.
"The climb was tough. I tried hard to follow the group.”
"The fun of cycling is the feeling of speed and the exhilaration of the wind. The race was very tired, but it’s fun!” 。
I participated in Kochi University of Technology.
“I was able to finish without any trouble, so it’s perfect for me! The air was very clean. It was good to be able to run happily while breathing the air of the hair. I'm going to continue cycling all the time, so I'd like to participate next year."
The last man who participated from the neighboring Shimanto-shi.
“I’m usually riding a bike four or five times a week, but it was hard for 40 minutes at the fast pace of the race. But I'm glad there's such a big meeting near the local community."
After the hobby race, members of the local Tosa Sukumo Igosso Taiko performed wadaiko performances, brass band performances by students from Sukumo Municipal Higashi Junior High School, and Yosakoi performed by the local Yosakoi team “Hata Maito” just before the race. The venue was excited.
Hot game development, JCL pro race
Now the professional race begins! A total of 125km race, which runs 10 laps on a 12.5km course, has begun.
The course is similar to the previous meeting. The highlight is the special course that closed the motorway. A speedy development is expected.
Players who gather at the start line. This year, in addition to the 7 JCL teams, the Sukumo selection team also participated. As a lot of spectators watched by turning their cameras and waving Naruko, the players performed a parade run around one lap, and the race began in earnest.
Athletes running on the motorway. On the second lap of the expressway, players boldly jump out of the group appear, and the top group gradually separates the chasing players.
But the players in the back won’t give up! Each team made an aggressive attack, and desperately pursued without disrupting the pursuit system.
It was a fierce race development on this day, but in the middle, Ryan and Drew of the Kinan Racing Team, and Carter of Victorir Hiroshima came out. Due to the strong attack, the gap between the chasing players has widened.
The game was brought to the home straight. With a lot of spectators watching, Ryan is the last spurt! I scored a good goal in the guts pose. In addition, the game was active on the day, and it was a high-speed race with an average speed of 44 km / h, exceeding the previous tournament.
The winner Ryan.
"It was a very hard race, but I couldn't win the last time, so I was able to put my strength into it. It's exciting because Australia doesn't have a highway race in Australia. Thank you to the local people.”
Three Australian players won the podium!
Carter in second place said: "It was a tough development. “It was hard,” Drew said, “I’m pretty tired. It was good to run for the team,” he said with a smile while showing tiredness.
Matsui, a local Sukumo selection team, won the first sprint award (which will be given to the first place at the completion of the third lap from the start).
"It's a local hair, so I was aiming for a round prize! Thank you very much for everyone!" 。
In addition, at the award ceremony, Yamamoto, who is currently ranked first as a tour award, also went on stage.
“It was good to run aggressively and win as a team. I hope the rest of the race will be motivated and motivated.”
I was able to feel again that the players are fighting for height as a team, as well as producing results as individuals.
This year, a support booth was set up not only on the main venue but also along the highway, and many spectators watched the hot race.
“I’ve been watching it last year and I’ve become a fan. Not only a sense of speed, but also bargaining is very interesting. I want to come to support you today! I've been sucking up since morning. I am very grateful that the players will come to Sukumo in this way. I'm happy. I'm looking forward to next year."
"After I saw the start at the venue, I came here in a hurry by bicycle. It’s interesting because the highway has different speeds. We formed a road bike club with friends, and we all went cycling for about two hours. I’m going to go again next time.”
“I came here for the first time this year. It's a great sense of speed. Today, I saw a lot of teams, so I wanted to come back again.”
A lot of people watch the game at the start goal venue. Special products and eating and drinking booths are also opened in the venue, and there is also a scene where local specialty "Buri no Tataki" is behaving. In addition, small summer juice using 100% ripe small summer from Sukumo is also popular. In a festival-like atmosphere, the locals enjoyed the race.
Finally
We introduced the pattern of the professional bicycle road race held following 2022. In 2023, an elementary and junior high school section was newly established for the hobby race, and the children also showed a hot run. There are also many cyclists participating in Enduro. After the exhilarating run, there was a figure enthusiastically supporting professional running, and I was able to feel the love of cycling competition from visitors.
This tournament was supported by local people not only along the venue but also along the roadside and highways. The atmosphere of the whole city of Sukumo was like the previous tournament.
It is said that there are many people in Sukumo City who enjoy road bikes as a hobby, like the three junior high school students introduced earlier. There is also a bicycle shop in the city where many bicycle lovers and students gather. I hope that Sukumo City, which excites cycling throughout the region, will be held in 2024.
