Lozano wraps up 2022 with strong ride at Japan Cup

Team Novo Nordisk ended a stellar 2022 season on a high note at the Japan Cup on Sunday with Spanish climber David Lozano in the top 30 after a series of tough circuits gradually wore the field down.

Happy to be finally back racing on Japanese roads for the first time since 2019, the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team started the weekend well with Kiwi Hamish Beadle sprinting into the top ten at Saturday’s criterium before Lozano stepped up at Sunday’s road race.

David Lozano:

“Considering how deep we are into the season and this was the last race, my legs felt pretty good today and the lumpy course suited me. The race split apart really early on the first laps but the two front groups never went more than a minute apart and I was always there.”

“We absolutely railed the descents and went hard on the ascents and with these kinds of circuits, you know that the same thing is coming around again so you can prepare yourself, get ready and try to hold your position. It’s such a big race for us and for our sponsors Novo Nordisk and Argon18 who alongside the Japanese public gave us an amazing welcome here, that we only wanted to ride well to thank them and try to give something back for all the support.”

Sports director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“All in all it’s been a great weekend of racing for us here at the Japan Cup. First with Hamish in the criterium on Saturday and then David in today’s road race. Maybe 70% of the field didn’t finish today so David did very well on a tough course to place in the top 30.”

“It’s been a very good year for us this time around and to end in a positive way means that we can all go into the off-season satisfied with our work and deserving of a good rest before we pick up again at camp in November.”