16th Japan Cup - 2007
Manuele Mori opens his pro account with his first pro win after 4 years as a pro.

Vittoria!! Manuele Mori Photo © Fotoreporter Sirotti

Manuele Mori of Saunier Duval closed his season with with the win in the 16th edition of the Japan Cup. The 27 year old pro rider of Empoli, Italy opened his pro racing account in his fourth year with the win on Sunday in the final UCI race of the season.

A bit of family pride was had by Manuele's cycling family. Manuele added to the families Palmares and give them reason to celebrate Manuele' victory. The Mori family of pro riders: brother,11 year pro Massimiliano Mori currently racing with Lampre/Fondital and father Primo Mori who rode as a pro from1969 to1975. Father Primo won the 13th stage of the 1970 tour de France into Gap.

Mori makes good his escape in the final kilometers. Photo © Fotoreporter Sirotti

Mori opened a narrow gap in the final stretch, the attack was enough for him to cross the finish line 6 seconds before a bunch of seven riders. Fabian Wegmann of Gerolsteiner led the group to the finish besting Francesco Gavazzi of Lampre/Fondital with Mori's Red bird teamates: Jesús del Nero (4th) and Rubens Bertogliati (6th) Local Japanese rider Yukiya Arashiro finished seven seconds back  in 4th.

Last year, the Japan Cup went to Mori´s teammate Riccardo Riccò, Riccardo unfortunately fell in the last part of the race, when he was in the lead.

Podium: Fabian Wegmann, Manuele Mori, Francesco Gavazzi.
Photo © Fotoreporter Sirotti

16th Japan Cup Result - 2007
151.3 km - 36.3 km/h
1. Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval/Prodir)  4:09:58
2. Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) at 0:06
3. Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre/Fondital) s.t.;
4. Montes Jesus Del Nero (Saunier Duval/Prodir) s.t.;
5. Yukiya Arashiro (Nippo/Meitan) at 0:07
6. Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval/Prodir) s.t.
7. Taiji Nishitani (Japan) s.t.
8. Marco Marzano (Lampre/Fondital) at 0:15
9. Yukihiro Doi (Skil/Shimano) at 0:25
10. Takashi Miyazawa (Nippo-Meitan) at 1:00
11 Nodera Hidenori (Skil/Shimano)
12 Darren Lapthorne (Dpc/Australia)
13 Takumi Beppu Takumi (AIS/Japan)
14 Makoto Iijima (Japan)
15 Wang Yip Tang (Hong Kong)
Number Of Starters: 75 Riders Finishing After Deadline: 0
Riders Abandoning the Race: 17

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