Tour of Japan: JCL Team UKYO dominate home race

Nahom Zeray wins queen stage on Mount Fuji as Alessandro Fancellu claims overall

Hey everyone,

First of all, a huge thank you for the response to my post last week detailing the scheduling changes starting this week on Global Peloton. Really appreciate your ongoing support. You can read about the new schedule here.

The first edition of the revamped newsletter is coming on Tuesday. But first, here is a run-down of everything that happened during the eight-day Tour of Japan, which ran alongside the Giro d’Italia’s second week. Japan’s national tour is a reminder of cycling’s popularity and potential in the country. There is a lot of good talent emerging and the last week saw a few break-out rides.

Atsushi Oka wins stage one. Image: Tour of Japan

JCL Team UKYO dominate Tour of Japan

Japan is a nation with so much potential to become a force at the very top of cycling. There is a thriving domestic scene, bundles of talent and untapped financial backing. The Tour of Japan, which has been running since 1996, is always a good test of the country’s progress.

The race has flitted between 2.1 and 2.2 UCI level in recent years and currently sits in the lower tier. The list of previous winners is impressive, including the likes of Cameron Meyer and Chris Harper. Last year’s winner, Giovanni Carboni, secured himself a move back to the professional level for this season after his win with the Italian-based Japanese continental team JCL-Team UKYO.

Read more: Spotlight on Japan - Is this cycling's sleeping giant?

Japan’s biggest team took a second win in a row with an Italian in the 2025 race, which took place last week. Alessandro Fancellu was impressive in victory as the team claimed three of the eight stages.

There were also two stage wins for local Japanese riders, as several pushed themselves forwards with impressive results.