Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Mayuko Hagiwara has added the title of Asian Time Trial Champion to her long list of Japanese National titles as she took victory in the 22.4km test on the Japanese Island of Oshima. Riding the classic white, grey and red colours of the Japanes National Team, Hagiwara’s time of 32 minutes and 35 seconds was just enough to beat Ju Mi Lee of South Korea by a fraction of a second, while Pang Yao of Hong Kong took the bronze medal another minute and 40 seconds behind.
“I am happy today to get the result of champion of Asia in the TT,” Hagiwara said afterwards. “And I’m happy I could get back the race feeling a bit today.”
Having taken the silver medal in last year’s championships, on a flat Thailand course, Hagiwara was naturally one of the big favourites over the far hillier terrain of Oshima. With Olympic qualification a key target for many riders in 2016, however, the Japanese Champion’s focus is firmly on the road race on Saturday.
“The road race is most important for the qualification system for Rio because if the rider win the road race, the rider can take one spot in the Olympic for race for their own country,” Hagiwara explained.
“It is our main goal in this Asian champs,” she added. “The course is quite hard, but it is good for me. I’ll give all my best for the road race on Saturday!”
Although the road race is the key event for Hagiwara and the Japanese team, success in today’s time trial is undoubtedly good for the multiple national Champion’s morale at the start of her fourth year with Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling.
“This time trial is not really a big target for me, but I could got some UCI’s point from today so that’s a good point for me,” she smiled. “The road race is the main big event for me, and for us.”
Result
1. Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan)
2. Ju Mi Lee (South Korea)
3. Pang Yao (Hong Kong)
Photo Credit: Sonoko Tanaka
