We spent last Sunday up in Shiga prefecture to watch the mighty Team Guell compete in the Panaracer Cup Criterium Race. A three hour non-stop individual race...
An early start in Nara for the drive up to Shiga, although we were missing Japan's first world cup game it did mean less traffic on the roads...
As we approached the race venue it seemed that the cyclists were taking over with riders everywhere you looked....
A brief course check and registration...
Then time for a quick warm up ride outside the venue. At this point we should probably mention how hot it was. It was stupidly, ridiculously, almost painfully hot! No shade to be found either in or outside the race venue...
A little team tactics talk...
A few pre race photos...
And then the starting line up, again we need to point out the heat, by this time it was roasting, a three hour, non-stop race in this heat was going to be tough, we were glad we were just spectators...
Yasuhara-san had his game face on, it was race time...
Brad was off to a flying start...
As was Susumu-san...
As the race went on the skies clouded over somewhat, offering a slight respite from the blazing sun...
After three tortuous hours Team Guell all finished with respectable top twenty placings in a field of over ninety racers...
