ツアー・オブ・ジャパン 2026

Ahead of the eight-stage Tour of Japan 2026, a pre-race press conference was held at the Comfort Hotel Sakai in Sakai City, Osaka. Four riders expected to play key roles in this year’s race shared their form, ambitions, and expectations for the competition beginning tomorrow. The riders also participated in the traditional painting of the “TOJ Daruma.”

TEAM UKYO — Tommaso Dati (23)
“This is my first time in Japan, and I’m looking forward to this new experience at TOJ. I’ve heard it’s a very hard race unlike any other, so I’ll do my best.
(Regarding the team’s chance for a fifth consecutive overall victory) I probably won’t be the rider targeting the overall classification. The Mt. Fuji stage is simply too demanding, so that role will likely go to another teammate. Personally, I’ll aim for stage results, while as a team we want to aim to defend our title. I expect stages two and three could end in reduced bunch sprints, and if that happens, I think I can achieve a good result.”

Aisan Racing Team — Yuhi Todome (23)
“Since it’s been four years since the last TOJ, I’m really looking forward to racing in Japan again after such a long time. Perhaps because I’ve been staying in Japan consistently, I’ve had strong form throughout the season, which makes me even more excited. Shinshu Iida will be an important stage, but the overall classification is usually decided on Mt. Fuji, so I want to perform well there. I won the mountains classification jersey in Tour de Taiwan this year, and I hope to wear it again at TOJ. To do that, I’ll need a strong ride on Mt. Fuji.
Our team has both strong sprinters and climbers, so we’re aiming for stage wins as well as the overall title. I’m not specifically targeting one stage, but with sprinters like Toubaru and Okamoto on the team, I hope we can demonstrate our team work.”

KINAN Racing Team — Jo Hashikawa (23)
“After the Tour de Kumano race, I took two weeks to recover properly and train well, and I feel I’ve been able to add the final one or two percent to my condition. During that time, I also spent time with teammates Rein and Lucas, which was a valuable experience. I think I'm in good shape for this race.
As a team, our goals are stage victories and the overall classification. Personally, I want to do everything I can to make that happen.　But it’s not only about me — riders like Lucas have also been producing strong results in Asian races. We haven’t decided to focus solely on one rider tactically, so we want to work together as a team to achieve our goal.”

CCACHE X BODYWRAP — Will Heath (19)
“I’m very happy to be back in Japan. Last year’s race was an amazing experience, and since TOJ is one of my favorite races, I can’t wait for it to begin again. Last year I raced without major expectations, but finishing third in the young rider classification was a good result, so this year I want to improve on that.
Our team has several strong sprinters, and some riders who can also climb well, so I think we can target the team time trial as well as stage two. As a team, we’ll aim for stage victories, including the Tokyo stage that Liam Walsh won last year. Personally, I’ll focus on the young rider classification, and the Mt. Fuji stage will likely be the key to that.”
 
Yūhi Todome watches as Jō Hashikawa inserts the eyes on TOJ Daruma.
 
The four riders who painted the eyes on TOJ Daruma