ツアー・オブ・ジャパン 2025

CCACHE X BODYWRAP’s WALSH and SCOTT Take First and Second in a Speedy Race.
FANCELLU takes overall victory, and OKA takes points prize in a Dramatic Turnaround!

The final day of the Tour of Japan, Stage 8, was the SPEED Channel Tokyo Stage held at Oi Wharf in Tokyo. As with last year, the race took place on a 6.5 km circuit course, completed over 16 laps for a total distance of 104 km. In the battle for the individual overall title, JCL TEAM UKYO's FANCELLU and RACCANI held the top two positions, having built a significant lead of 1 minute and 9 seconds over third-place DYBALL. However, the race for the individual points classification remained undecided until the final day.
 
At the start of the day, the leader in the points classification was the previous stage winner, PRADES REVERTER Benjami (VC FUKUOKA). FANCELLU followed in second place, just two points behind, although as the overall leader, he had shown little interest in competing for the points title as of the previous day. Effectively, the battle for the points jersey came down to three riders: PRADES REVERTER and OKA Atsushi (Utsunomiya Blitzen), who was three points behind, and STEWART Mark (SOLUTION TECH VINI FANTINI), who was five points off the lead.
 
SOLUTION TECH VINI FANTINI, the only UCI ProTeam in this year’s race and winner of Stage 1, was eager to add another highlight to the Tour of Japan, which also marked ARASHIRO Yukiya’s homecoming race. Determined to claim the points classification jersey, STEWART Mark declared his intention to "go for the intermediate sprint points," boldly stepping into a head-to-head battle.
 
From the moment the race started, attack after attack unfolded, but none were able to make a decisive break. Just as STEWART had said, SOLUTION TECH VINI FANTINI closely monitored every move, reeling breakaway attempts back into the peloton. The one carrying out that role was ARASHIRO. For the riders who want to break away, he is the one they least want to be chased.
 
The peloton remained intact as it approached the first of the day’s three intermediate sprint points, set at the end of the fourth lap. Atsushi Oka (UTSUNOMIYA BLITZEN) surged ahead to take top honors, while HONDA Haruto (VC FUKUOKA), teammate of points leader PRADES, claimed second. STEWART Mark (SOLUTION TECH VINI FANTINI) followed in third. With this result, OKA narrowed the gap to PRADES to a single point and extended his advantage over STEWART in the battle for the points jersey.
 
The race remained unsettled, with repeated attacks continuing to be neutralized as the laps progressed. As the riders reached the second intermediate sprint point of the day at the end of Lap 8, it was MAGOSAKI Hiroki (VICTOIRE HIROSHIMA) who crossed the line first. His effort, however, was not aimed at the points classification, but rather at denying bonus seconds to STEWART Mark. The time gap between STEWART, currently fourth in the general classification, and DYBALL Benjamin (VICTOIRE HIROSHIMA), who sits third overall, stood at just 13 seconds. STEWART despite vying for the points jersey, found himself strategically shut out due to his position in the overall standings.
 
MAGOSAKI’s presence proved to be a thorn in the side not only for STEWART, who finished second at the intermediate sprint, but also for OKA, who came through in third. With PRADES opting not to contest the intermediate sprints, both riders had hoped to close the gap in the points standings. However, the unexpected involvement of a powerful sprinter outside the points battle complicated their efforts.

At the third and final intermediate sprint point, held at the end of Lap 13, it was once again MAGOSAKI Hiroki who crossed the line first, followed by STEWART Mark in second and OKA Atsushi in third—identical to the previous sprint. With both OKA and STEWART having earned a total of seven points across the three intermediate sprints, the outcome of the points classification would now come down to the final sprint at the finish line.
 
After the final intermediate sprint point of the day, the group finally accepted the breakaway. With three laps to go, the first “proper” breakaway group of the day formed. The riders involved were ODA Sei (MATRIX POWERTAG), YAMADA Takumi (SHIMANO RACING), PICARD Léon (TEAM BUFFAZ GESTION DE PATRIMOINE), HOPKINS Dylan (ROOJAI INSURANCE), and CHRISTIE-JOHNSTON Alastair (CCACHE X BODYWRAP). This group would go on to constitute the final breakaway of the stage.
 

Of the five riders in the breakaway, CHRISTIE-JOHNSTON Alastair with ace sprinter did not rotate. Nevertheless, the remaining four riders worked together cohesively, managing to stretch the gap to 14 seconds over the peloton with two laps to go.

The chase was led by multiple teams with stakes in the final sprint. UTSUNOMIYA BLITZEN, backing OKA Atsushi's bid for the points title. AISAN RACING TEAM, featuring top sprinters OKAMOTO and KUBOKI and VC FUKUOKA, defending points leader PRADES REVERTER Benjami. Their combined efforts reeled in the breakaway just as the race entered the final lap, setting the stage for a decisive bunch sprint. 
On Tokyo’s wide and long finishing straight, it was OKAMOTO who launched the sprint first, having been led out by KUBOKI. But from just behind, WALSH Liam (CCACHE X BODYWRA) unleashed a powerful burst of acceleration, surging to the front and crossing the line first. SCOTT Cameron (CCACHE X BODYWRAP) followed with a strong late charge from further back, overtaking the others to secure second place. With that, CCACHE X BODYWRAP clinched a commanding one-two finish.
 
In the battle for the points classification, PRADES REVERTER Benjami finished sixth on the stage, just ahead of OKA Atsushi in seventh. However, thanks to the points earned in the intermediate sprints, OKA pulled off a dramatic comeback to claim the points jersey on the final day. STEWART Mark crossed the line in 16th.

Meanwhile, FANCELLU Alessandro safely finished within the main group, securing overall victory in the 2025 Tour of Japan. JCL TEAM UKYO has now won the Tour of Japan 2025 four times in a row, and in addition to the mountain jersey, they were also the top team in the overall team standings for the week.

Despite injuries from a crash the day before that had cast doubt on his participation, PLACE Maxence (WANTY-NIPPO-RE UZ) delivered a strong ride in support of his team and finished safely in the bunch, earning the best young rider jersey.

Another winner of the day, OKA reportedly had been feeling ill since the previous day.
 

"There was a large crowd of team supporters in Tokyo, and I was determined to make it onto the podium at all costs. However, I had concerns about my physical condition and was feeling the pressure. During the final sprint, I was marking AISAN's riders KUBOKI and OKAMOTO, but I got caught in the wind and lost position. I had to give my all in all three intermediate sprints today, so I didn't have much left in my legs at the end. Ultimately, it was precisely because I pushed myself in those intermediate sprints that I was able to secure the jersey. The race turned into a close contest right up to the finish, so I felt relieved that my hard work paid off. I gave everything I had, knowing that I could finally rest once today was over."

The eight-day Tour of Japan has come to an end. Each rider, each team, had their own battles to fight.

"As Matrix, we weren't able to make it a successful Tour of Japan, so we want to channel this frustration into our next challenge."

"ODA Hijiri (MATRIX POWERTAG), who was the only rider to join the breakaway that day and actively raced, is not satisfied with his strong performance on the final day and is already looking ahead to the next challenge." 

MOCHIZUKI Ren (TEAM BUFFAZ GESTION DE PATRIMOINE) finished last in the overall standings of the race. After falling behind significantly due to a crash early on, he endured a tough stage race. However, on the final day, his expression was bright. He contested the final sprint and secured an 11th place finish in the stage."

"Around the halfway point of the race, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, 'There’s still half to go...' But when I finally returned to Tokyo today, I felt a bit sad, thinking, 'It’s already over...' Personally, I wanted to challenge myself more in breakaways, but crashes prevented me from doing so, which is frustrating. Finishing last overall at the Giro d’Italia, that comes with the black jersey, right? (※) In a way, that’s not a bad thing. But I want to get stronger and challenge the Tour of Japan again." MOCHIZUKI, based in France, is only 18 years old. What these eight days have brought him will be revealed with time. ※ At the Giro d’Italia, there used to be a black leader’s jersey called the 'MAGLIA NERA,' awarded to the rider who finished last overall.

Stage Winner WALSH Liam (CCACHE X BODYWRAP) comment:
"Today, I entered the final corner in a good position and still had the legs to sprint. Aisan attacked at the last corner, and I lost a bit of position, but I gave it my all in the final straight. Thanks to my teammates’ support up to that point, I was able to conserve enough energy to sprint. In this race, CAMERON finished third in Stage 3, but I crashed and had no sprinting opportunities in Stage 4. I was determined to win today, and I’m proud of the team for coming together to achieve success."
 
Overall Individual Time Leader (Green Jersey) FANCELLU Alessandro (JCL TEAM UKYO) comment:
"I’m definitely tired, but I feel happy. It was a very good eight days. I think I was able to ride well without losing time, including on Mt. Fuji. The most memorable moment was the stage win at Inabe, but I’m also proud that I managed to avoid any time losses in the subsequent stages and had a solid race overall."
 
Overall Individual Points Leader (Blue Jersey) Atsushi Oka (UTSUNOMIYA BLITZEN) comment:
"Winning the Kyoto stage was a major goal I was able to achieve. Although there were stages afterward where I felt frustrated, I’m very happy to have secured the points classification here on the final day in Tokyo."
 
Overall Individual Mountains Leader (Red Jersey) GARIBBO Niccolò (JCL TEAM UKYO) comment:
"I believe this race allowed our team to showcase its performance. I’m tired, but I’ll make sure to recover well and will now focus on the Italian National Championships. The Inabe stage, where our team took first and third place, remains one of the best memories of the event."
 
Best Young Rider (White Jersey) PLACE Maxence (WANTY-NIPPO-RE UZ) comment:
"I had a crash during the race, but now that it’s over, I feel good. This race was a valuable experience for me. There isn’t a particular stage that stood out the most.  I believe I performed well overall in every stage and achieved good results."
 

REPORT BY：OMATA Yuta

Stage 8　Speed Channel Tokyo results
1st    WALSH Liam    (CCACHE X BODYWRAP)    2h 07m 40s
2nd    SCOTT Cameron    (CCACHE X BODYWRAP)    ＋0s
3rd    D'AMATO Andrea    （JCL TEAM UKYO）    ＋0s

Individual Overall Time Classification (Green Jersey)
1st    FANCELLU Alessandro    （JCL TEAM UKYO）    18h 39m 57s
2nd    RACCANI Simone    （JCL TEAM UKYO）    ＋21s
3rd    DYBALL Benjamin    （VICTOIRE HIROSHIMA）    ＋1m 09s

Individual Overall Points Classification (Blue Jersey)
1st    OKA Atsushi    （UTSUNOMIYA BLITZEN）    68pt
2nd    PRADES REVERTER Benjami    （VC FUKUOKA）    65pt
3rd    SCOTT Cameron    (CCACHE X BODYWRAP)    59pt 

Individual Overall Mountains Classification (Red Jersey)
1st    GARIBBO Niccolò    （JCL TEAM UKYO）    32pt
2nd    BATSAIKHAN Tegsh-bayar    （ROOJAI INSURANCE)    30pt
3rd    ARAYA Nahom Zeray    （JCL TEAM UKYO）    20pt

Individual Overall Best Young Rider Classification (White Jersey)
1st    PLACE Maxence    （WANTY-NIPPO-RE UZ）
2nd    HASHIKAWA Jo    （AISAN RACING TEAM）
3rd    HEATH Wii    (CCACHE X BODYWRAP)