After the official news of Damiano Cima, today the news is the new trainee coming from Japan. His name is Hiroki Nishimura. He came back after a physical problem, he’s getting ready to deal with cycling races worldwide.
Nishimura, strong athlete since high-school years, won the juniores Asiatic championships, in addition to other important national races. Considered as a future shining star of the Japanese cycling movement, goes to Shimano Racing Team in 2013, but in the same year, a slipped disc issue prevented him to compete. After a long period of recovery and rehabilitation, this year he’s back to the races, reaching a good fifth place in National Championship elite race.
The first Nishimura race with NIPPO will be the Circuito de Gexto (31st of july, cat. UCI 1.1), followed by Vuelta a Burgos (1st to 5th aug, UCI 2.HC)
NISHIMURA COMMENT
“I am very pleased to have the chance to deal with in Worldwide level professional races. Despite a physical issue slowed my preparation, i never forgot my target: to improve in racing in Worldwide level races.
The two races I am going to take part to will be in Spain, the first of one day, and the other, in Burgos, of five days. These are two races in which many Pro Tour Teams are going to take part to, I’m not hiding of being anxious because i’ve never took part in European races of such a level, but this will be an important experience which will allow me to understand the teams tactics and the development of the race.
I don’t hide i will have problems in the speaking since my team-mates and the DS are almost all Italian, but with a dictionary in my hand i will work so i could communicate and could become a real part of the team.
Thanks to the NIPPO Vini Fantini team for giving me this opportunity, the Shimano Racing Team and all the fans who cheered for me.”
HIROSHI DAIMON COMMENT
“Among the trainees who will race this year, Nishimura is the only cyclist in the Asian area. I had noticed in 2012 when he won the Road Asian junior games. I also followed physical tests at the Japanese Institution of Sport Science (JISS), where Nishimura excelled for cardio-pulmonary functions, as well as showing good physical performance. He took part in the Nations Cap (with the junior national team). In 2013, when he joined the Shimano Racing Team, he had the chance to ride in Italy, always succeeding in getting in good positions despite the fierce competition of top European riders. I was amazed, too, because in Italian races the group is very compact and requires a lot of concentration. Even though Nishimura was in his first year under the age of 23, he managed to set himself right away. This demonstrates his great abilities. I immediately thought that if he was well prepared, he could become a future Yukiya Arashiro.
Even the following year he wanted to ride in Europe, but a hernia problem at an intervertebral disc, imposed a forced stop with consequent operation.
Finally this year by our director Fukushima or feeling that all physical problems are over, allowing Nishimura to come back to show how much it is worth, but the thing that struck me most was her willpower to want to keep ridiging.
I was sure that overcoming physical problems would have been a runner capable of confronting the world-class sport world so I decided to give it a chance. I also thank the Shimano Racing Team for supporting him for a long time, waiting for his full return to racing. I want to remember that the Shimano Racing Team is one of the most historic cycling teams in Japan. Established in 1973 and directly controlled by Shimano, the Shimano Racing Team aims to valorize the new Japanese boys, so I thank them for this valuable collaboration.”
Nishimura is back to European races, but also the launch base to compete with the World Tour teams. I know that competition will be fierce and that achieving high-level results will be hard, but it will also be an important experience to understand how to behave and communicate with the team. After the races in Spain, we will retry the program to include a race in Austria at the end of August. September will be held in China, France and Belgium. They are all important races to prove his worth to become a top runner in the future.
HIROKI NISHIMURA PROFILE
Born in prefecture of Hyogo on Oct the 20th 1994
Height: 171cm, Weight: 57kg
Palmares:
2011, Japanese national juniores championships in line win;
2012, Asiatic juniores games both in line and time trial win, 23rd place in World in line juniores championship;
2013, 2nd place in Kokumin Taiiku race in “joung” category;
2017, 5th place in National in line Elite Championship.