Tour of Japan - Stage 2
Valentin Iglinskiy of the Kazakhstan National Team wins the stage and the race lead. Aurélien Passeron second, with Japan's Shinri Suzuki third. Shinri and Passeron move up on the G.C.

by Stephanie Gutowski

Todaiji Temple to Yamazoe-mura Nunome Dam Circuit Course 146.2km
The riders started the day in front of the Todaiji Temple in Nara. The peloton remained together for the first lap on the Nunome Dam circuit. Akira Kakinuma (Team Miyata) and Ysutaka Tashiro (Team Bridgestone Anchor) attacked from the peloton at 11 laps to go, but the advantage was kept to less than 1 minute by the peloton.

With eight laps to go, nine riders including Kam Po Wong (Hong Kong Pro Cycling), Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan National Team), Shinichi Fukushima and Yukiya Arashiro (Nippo corp-Meitan Hompo-Equipe Asadaand), Taiji Nishitani (Aisan Racing Team), Andrea Rossi (Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo) jumped up from the peloton and joined the two lead Japanese riders

The Acqua & Sapone riders Aurelien Passeron and Francesco Di Paolo caught the break on the final laps. The French sprinter missed out on the sprint in stage one and looked to be well on his way to a win, but Valentin Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan National team) was on his wheel and jumped out front just before the line to take the win. Iglinkskiy, in the blue points leader's jersey, added the green leader's jersey to his collection.

Victory Valentin Iglinskiy
Photo c. Tour of Japan

Stage 2 Results:
1 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 3.44.12
2 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
3 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata/Subaru Racing Team
4 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
5 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
6 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 0.05
7 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
8 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 0.09
9 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
10 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil/Shimano
11 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
12 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
13 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
14 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
15 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
16 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
17 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta
18 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
19 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
20 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0.16

Stage 2 Awards
Photo c. Tour of Japan

General classification after stage 2:
1 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 6.43.23
2 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo 0.10
3 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada 0.11
4 Shinri Suzuki (Jpn) Myata/Subaru Racing Team 0.12
5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo 0.16
6 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
7 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada 0.19
8 Kam-Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong Pro Cycling 0.21
9 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 0.25
10 Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
11 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
12 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
13 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
14 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
15 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil/Shimano
16 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
17 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone/Caffe Mokambo
18 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation/Meitan Honpo/Asada
19 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta
20 Herman Fouche (RSA) Team Konica Minolta 0.31

Stage 2 Finish Valentin Iglinski leads Aurélien Passeron   Photo c. Tour of Japan

RACE SCHEDULE AND STAGE DISTANCES
Stage 1   May 20 (Sun.) Osaka Stage Start at 12:00
Sakai City Senboku Circuit Course 140.8km
Stage 2   May 21 (Mon.) Nara Stage Start at 9:00
Todaiji Temple to Yamazoe-mura Nunome Dam Circuit Course 146.2km
Stage 3   May 22 (Tue.) Mino Stage Start at 9:15
Mino City to MINO WASHI Paper Museum Circuit Course 164.7km
Stage 4   May 23 (Wed.) Minami-Shinshu Stage Start at 8:45
Iida Sta. to Shimohisakata Circuit Course to Matsuo Stadium 155.3km
Rest & Transfer day May 24 (Thu.)
Stage 5   May 25 (Fri.) Fujisan Stage Start at 10:00
Fujiazami Line Subashiri IC to Mt.Fuji Subashiriguchi 5th station
(Individual TT) 11.4km
Stage 6   May 26 (Sat.) Izu Stage Start at 9:00
Shuzenji Sta. to Japan Cycle Sports Center Circuit Course 128.5km
Stage 7  May 27 (Sun.) Tokyo Stage Start at 11:00
Hibiya City to Ohi Wharf Circuit Course 148.9km
Total 895.8km

PARTICIPATING TEAMS: 16 Teams (8 Overseas, 8 Japanese)
TEAM COMPOSITION: 6 Riders, 1 team manager, 2 attendants.
RACE REGULATIONS: UCI regulations and the specific regulations of this race will be applied.

11th TOUR OF JAPAN ORGANIZERS:
Cycle Month Promotion Council
The Asahi Shimbun
The Nikkan Sports News

SPECIAL SPONSORS:
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
CYCLE SPORTS BROADCASTING Inc.
NIPPON TOTOR Co., LTD.

SPONSORS:
Fujitsu Limited / JT / Japan Airlines / Thule Japan / Suzuki Motor Corporation / Shimano Inc. / Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd / Bicycle Association (Japan) Approved / Asahimatsu Foods Co., Ltd. / Nalshima / Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. / Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd. / Tokyo San-Esu Co., Ltd. / JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc. / Matrix Inc. / Mizuho Bank, Ltd. / Panasonic Cycle Technology Co., Ltd. / Miyata Industry Co., Ltd. / Nichinao Shokai Co., Ltd. / NIPPO Corporation Co.,Ltd. / Pearl Izumi CO., Ltd. / Amer Sports japan, Inc. / Nara Convention Bereau / Goldwin Inc. / Takizawa