What a race at the #JapanCup! We have both @IlanWilder and @MVansevenant99 in a strong five-man leading group which has a gap of one minute with just 20 kilometers to go! Photo: @GettySport
Powless strongest of elite group in Japan Cup and takes second win in traditional season finale
CyclingSunday, 20 October 2024 at 10:56
Neilson Powless won the Japan Cup. The American of EF Education—EasyPost was in the strongest group of five in the hilly one-day race. He defeated Ilan Van Wilder ( Soudal Quick-Step) and Matej Mohoric ( Bahrain-Victorious) to take his second win in Japan.
The Japan Cup is a classic finale to the cycling season. The race consists of a ten-kilometer lap completed fourteen times for 140 kilometers. In that lap, the climb to Kogashiyama is the decisive factor: a 4.7-kilometer col at 3.5 percent. Last year, Rui Costa (Intermarché-Wanty) won the Japanese one-day race. He then defeated young German Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla).
From the start, it was an all-out war. Simon Yates, who will swap Jayco AlUla for Visma | Lease a Bike, was active from the beginning, going on the attack solo. Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) and Fausto Masnada (Soudal Quick-Step) also made an early course. However, his teammate Mauri Vansevenant created a gap, laying the foundation for the final group that would make it to the finish. Michael Woods (Israel - Premier Tech) was the first to cross, and Powless, Mohoric, and Van Wilder later joined him. So we had a front group of five. They quickly rode away from the rest of the pack: the battle was struck.
Soudal Quick-Step with two, but Powless is super strong
Soudal Quick-Step was, therefore, well-represented in the group that would battle for the win. However, Powless was the strongest on the road: he pressured his breakaway companions several times. It became a tactical game in the final kilometers: Van Wilder was the first to attack, but Woods and Vansevenant also tried. The riders didn't give each other an inch until Powless went all out in the sprint. Nobody had an answer to the acceleration of the American, who had been labeled a favorite beforehand. He lived up to the favorites and triumphed in his last race of the season. Van Wilder bowed his head and finished second, ahead of Matej Mohoric.
Results Japan Cup 2024
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Read also
Il Lombardia 2024
Want to advertize on IDLProCycling.com? We’re already planning for the 2025 season
Preview Antwerp 2024 World Cup | Major UCI event sets off with all stars present
Harsh Wuyts thinks Van Gils' breach of contract suits his image, agents understand choice
Visma | Lease a Bike realizes that with Milan Vader a story comes to its end: "For a moment we feared for your life"
November vacation month: Van der Poel receives wonderful card, Philipsen and Bernal enjoy, Evenepoel goes for a run
Latest Cycling News
Want to advertize on IDLProCycling.com? We’re already planning for the 2025 season
Preview Antwerp 2024 World Cup | Major UCI event sets off with all stars present
Harsh Wuyts thinks Van Gils' breach of contract suits his image, agents understand choice
Visma | Lease a Bike realizes that with Milan Vader a story comes to its end: "For a moment we feared for your life"
November vacation month: Van der Poel receives wonderful card, Philipsen and Bernal enjoy, Evenepoel goes for a run
Popular Cycling News
November vacation month: Van der Poel receives wonderful card, Philipsen and Bernal enjoy, Evenepoel goes for a run
Meanwhile in the peloton | Unibet Tietema Rockets signs Italian climber Carboni
Bakelants notices remarkable trend in transfers: "Van Aert, Pogacar, Van der Poel: they all did that"
Vingegaard responds cryptically to rumors: "I read somewhere that I might have to ride the Giro"
Visma | Lease a Bike realizes that with Milan Vader a story comes to its end: "For a moment we feared for your life"
Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024