First race of the 2018 in Asia for the NIPPO Vini Fantini Europa Ovini team. Hideto Nakane will be the top climber of the team for the general ranking, Hayato Yoshida and Imerio Cima the sprinters, both of them at their first race in #OrangeBlue. For the climb stages the team will have also Filippo Zaccanti and to complete the line-up important will be the experience of Alan Marangoni and the young Japanese talent Marino Kobayashi.
Tour of Taiwan 11-15/03/2018
It is time for the first Asian race of the season for the NIPPO Vini Fantini Europa Ovini team, it is time to race the Tour of Taiwan, from 11th to 15th of March. 5 stages with different roads, some of them with climb to pay attention and at least a couple of stages perfect for sprinters. The NIPPO Vini Fantini Europa Ovini team will afford the race after a good training camp in Japan, in Okinawa, to prepare the Asian race.
THE #ORANGEBLUE LINE-UP.
Hideto Nakane will be the team leader in climbing stages and in battle for the general ranking. Best of Asian in Tour of Langkawi 2017 riding also Tirreno Adriatico in 2017 the Japanese rider at his second year with the NIPPO Vini Fantini Europa Ovini team is ready to ride a good race. To support him also the young Italian climber Filippo Zaccanti. For fast arrivals the sprinters Hayato Yoshida and Imerio Cima, both of them at their debut with the team. To complete the roster a very important role will have Alan Marangoni, charismatic leader in race, that as usual will lead in race his youngest teammates, as the young Japanese rider born in 1994 Marino Kobayashi.
On the team car Shinichi Fukushima will be the Sports Director in this race. Here his words looking forward to the race:
“Except for the second stage, the race routes are same as last year’s edition. There are not steep climbs but a lot of climbs on the race routes. Our main goal is to get many UCI points with Japanese riders. For Hideto Nakane, he has a role to aim the general classification, for Kobayashi and Zaccanti, I’d like to expect them to get in break away in several stages. For the bunch sprints, Yoshida, Imerio Cima and Marangoni should be our leaders and they are able to take stage win with their best. We had a good training camp in Okinawa, so I’m sure of our good results in Taiwan.”
The line-up: Hideto Nakane, Hayato Yoshida, Imerio Cima, Alan Marangoni, Filippo Zaccanti, Marino Kobayashi.