ツアー・オブ・ジャパン 2024

Joshua LUDMAN (SAINT PIRAN) makes breakaway succeed and claims match race to take Stage4 Mino win
Giovanni CARBONI (JCL TEAM UKYO) continues to be Green Jersey Wearer

The fourth day of the Tour of Japan 2024 was the traditional Mino stage, starting from the “Udatsu-no-Agaru-Machinami (Udatsu-lined Old Streets)” where is designated as a National Important Cultural Property in Mino city, Gifu prefecture. “Udatsu” was a firewall slightly raised at both ends of a roof as a device to prevent fire and could be built only on wealthy houses. It boasts one of the best historical landscapes in the TOJ.
After a 4.0 km neutral section from the Former Imai Family Residence, the riders rode through the 137.3 km course, which consisted of six laps around a 21km circuit in front of the Mino-Washi no Sato Kaikan (MINO-WASHI Museum).

At the intermediate sprint point at the completion of the first lap without a breakaway, TERADA Yoshiki (SHIMANO RACING TEAM) crossed the line at the front. He earned sprint points and bonus time.

The King of Mountain point was set on the second lap and was a battle among 4 riders, NAKAI Tadaaki (SHIMANO RACING TEAM), Mohamad Nur Aiman MOHD ZARIFF (TERENGGANU CYCLING TEAM), Joshua LUDMAN (SAINT PIRAN) and YAMAMOTO Tetsuo (JAPAN NATIONAL TEAM), jumping out of the peloton. NAKAI wearing the Red Jersey, passed at the head of the break and added points to his tally. These four stayed together and formed a breakaway.

NAKAI was the first to pass the sprint point at the completion of the third lap, and he was also the first to pass the second chance of the KOM point on the fourth lap, further solidifying his position as the leader of the mountain prize. LUDMAN led the sprint point at the completion of the fifth lap and heads into the final lap.

The four-man breakaway was narrowed down to YAMAMOTO and LUDMAN on the final lap, but the main group was unable to catch them. LUDMAN won the stage with a match sprint. Giovanni CARBONI (JCL TEAM UKYO), who finished in the pack, defended the Green Jersey Wearer. TERADA, who finished 5th in the stage, took the new Blue Jersey.

Joshua LUDMAN (SAINT PIRAN) – Stage4 Mino Winner
“I had a mechanical trouble of seat post and had to chase back twice. People who are better on GC dropped from the group, so I knew I was in a chance to win there. About 20 minutes to go, I checked my legs and sprinting and I had a gap. In the last of a couple, I made it really. Japan has started with very good sprinters and I was nerves, but I have been stronger at the climb. If the sprint went far end long, I had better chance for winning. About 20 minutes to go, I had a gap and clinched myself. 
I really enjoy to be in the breakaways or be in a small group, so I want to be a breakaway rider or classic rider.”
 
Giovanni CARBONI (JCL TEAM UKYO) – Green Jersey Wearer
“It was very fast stage. For our team, it needed to control the race. Tomorrow is another stage. I want to control and be safe, because our team targets the general classification.”
 
TERADA Yoshiki (SHIMANO RACING TEAM) – Blue Jersey Wearer
“I was 13 points behind the first-place finisher (CARBONI) for the sprint points award and 5 points behind the second-place finisher (MALUCELLI), so everything went according to plan today, assuming that if I could win the intermediate sprint and get to MALUCELLI first at the finish, I would be the points award leader. Thanks to IRIBE-san’s efforts to close the gap on the first breakaway that was almost made, I was able to win the intermediate sprint at the front. It was a good day for me.”
 
NAKAI Tadaaki (SHIMANO RACING TEAM) – Red Jersey Wearer
“TERADA took the first sprint point, and then I was able to smoothly get into the break. The breakaway riders who escaped with me today made it to the end, but it is frustrating that it was successful, so I would assume that the lead group was able to escape thanks to my return to the peloton (laughs). Tomorrow's Shinshu-Iida stage will be tough in the mountains, but if I can make even one pass to the front and get 7 points, I think I can see the final Red Jersey Wearer."
 
Zachary MARRIAGE (TEAM BRIDGELANE) – White Jersey Wearer
“It was pretty chilled race, compared to yesterday. The race was up and settle down. It was kind of rolled around to sprint. There will be Fuji and a few more tough stages, so we are now in the half of the stages, but we are not in the half way through the tough tour.”