Japan Cup brings Rapha’s Team Sky journey to an end.
Emotions often run high at the Japan Cup. The race is the last in the pro-tour calendar and is traditionally a celebration of the spirit of cycle racing as much as a competition. This year’s 25th anniversary edition of the race proved especially poignant — it signified the end of Rapha’s four-year partnership with Team Sky. The team also bid farewell to domestique Xabier Zandio, one of the longest-serving riders on the squad, who chose to make the Japan Cup his final race as a pro-rider.
The Japan Cup is one of the best-known races in the Japanese cycling calendar, and loved by riders, who are afforded rock star status by the thousands of adoring fans for the one-day classic. They wait at hotels with gifts and autograph books. David Lopez, Alex Peters and Lars Petter Nordhaug of Team Sky soak up the atmosphere backstage as they wait to be interviewed at the team presentation.
