Tourist City Niseko and two ride events (2)
Niseko Classic, Japan’s only certified qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

Now, one of the fun parts of a fun ride is the refreshments at the aid stations. AEON Hokkaido was a special sponsor of this event, and a large amount of AEON PB jellies, drinks, bananas, and other items were distributed to support the participants’ run.

*This article is a reprint of a July 2019 article.

There are always sentinel staff stationed at points where turns are to be made on the course, as well as accompanying staff to deal with mechanical problems, and other support systems are in place so that participants can concentrate only on running. Incidentally, Mt. Yotei, which is rarely seen at this time of year, made an appearance, and together with the vast landscape typical of Hokkaido, the trip was a very memorable experience.

In addition, original T-shirts were given out as participation prizes, and at the post-goal event, various outdoor brand items handled by the sponsor, Ikeuchi Group, were offered as raffle prizes. In addition, images taken along the way will be freely downloadable, a nice perk for today’s social networking-loving cyclists.

Next, I would like to talk about the Niseko Classic. This citizens’ race, modeled after the Tour de Okinawa held every November in Okinawa Prefecture, started out as a hill climb race and has grown into a full-scale road race held on closed public roads over the past six years. This year marks the fourth season that the event has been included in the qualifying round of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (hereinafter referred to as the UCIGFWS). This qualifying competition will be held in 21 locations around the world for the 2019 season, with only Niseko and India being held here in Asia. Competitors placing in the top 25% in each category will be eligible to participate in the finals (Poznan, Poland in 2019).

Therefore, there were many entrants from overseas who wanted to advance to the finals, and of the 1,200 entrants in the road race category, a whopping 20% were foreigners this year. After Singapore and Taiwan, the number of participants from Australia, perhaps due to the location of Niseko, as explained at the beginning of this report.


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What is the Rumored Japanese Odyssey? #01
Into the World of Ultra-Distance

Far Away. For the past decade, events and races known as ultra-long-distance have been emerging worldwide, surpassing the realm of long-distance cycling. These events cover thousands of kilometers, taking riders across countries and prefectural borders, over mountains and rivers, over the course of a week to half a month. With no aid stations or support vehicles, cyclists must rely solely on themselves until they reach the finish line. These grueling rides have been steadily gaining attention among cyclists in the know. While ‘brevets’ are well-known in Japan, recently, a niche group of cyclists has turned their passionate gaze toward ‘The Japanese Odyssey.’ This even […]

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The Japanese Odyssey Report Season 2
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The Master of German Packing Systems 🇩🇪
Tartaruga’s Ultimate Finisher 🇦🇺🇯🇵
The Pinnacle of French Elegance 🇫🇷🇯🇵

Now then, the ultra-long-distance cycling event “The Japanese Odyssey” (hereafter referred to as TJO), set in the familiar landscape of the Japanese archipelago, is well-known to us. After more than a year of silence, the announcement for its 2025 edition finally appeared on its official website last autumn. It also mentioned that the starting point would return to Hokkaido, where the journey began 10 years ago. Amazing! The event began in 2015 with only six riders, all of whom were foreigners. As word of its craziness gradually spread, the number of participants grew to 21 in 2016 (still without any Japanese riders). For this year’s Global Ride, we are pleased to present a serie […]

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The Japanese Odyssey Report Season 2
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A heavy rocker and former architect 🇨🇦
The youngest 26-year-old fresher 🇦🇺
A pure New Yorker rider with eye-catching gear 🇺🇸

The details for The Japanese Odyssey (TJO) 2025, set to take place this autumn, have finally been announced! This year, the journey starts in Kagoshima and finishes in Matsumoto City. Riders will navigate through 20 checkpoints over 13 and a half days, including ferry crossings along the way. The route spans 2,300 km with a total elevation gain of 46,000 m.For the full schedule and route details, please check the official website. In this column, we bring you a detailed report on the bikes and packing setups of three “intense” riders who took on TJO 2016. Their gear choices reflect their professions, nationalities, and personalities—so take notes and get inspired! *You can find the previous […]