Shock! Horror! アラマ！
Words that could trigger Koji in my mind sometimes… postcards, attack or harmonica, but not retire.
Especially as he is the ‘younger’ brother.
I usually check Koji’s blog once or twice a month and the other day I clicked on his English blog to see that he has announced his retirement on December 2nd. I then had a look at his Japanese blog where many people have paid tribute in the comments section thanking him and also asking him to continue racing.
Born August 21 1973 he and his older brother Shinichi have been riding in Europe for over ten years for European and Japanese teams.
I remember the first time I met him was at the Tokyo Cycle show in the Big Site at Ariake in November 2004. I had no idea who he was at the time but the two younger guys I were with from my Semas team had me take their photos with Koji and told me who he was. He signed for my two sons, two of his trademark promotional post cards he always carries around with him. My eldest son was thrilled to get an autograph from a famous sportsman and still keeps the card posted at his bedside.
After that first meeting I sent him a copy of the photos and sent him an email of encouragement for his racing. I also got to see him race once in the Japan Cup in Tokyo. The same day I had crashed out earlier in the day in the amateur races. It was great to watch him attacking. Even when I think he was not supposed to be attacking. It was in his blood. Attack, attack, attack. A lot of times I suppose his attacks were not successful, but on one day in the Tour De Langkawi, I managed to watch (live I think) him attacking on one of the hardest stages of that race on a very hot day.
The peleton had seen him attack on previous days and fail so they let him go, thinking that he would fail again. Malaysia is always hot but this day was particularly hot. I still have the stage on tape and will play it every now and then. There are a few stages of races that bring a tear to my eye as I watch them. Stuart O’Grady winning the Paris Roubaix and Koji winning this stage at the TDL are the two that stick out. The commentary from Paul Sherwin and Phil Legget added to the atmosphere to make it feel like a Tour De France win as well.
Quoted from Cycling News:
Once he came to one of our special training runs in Mount Tsukuba and rode with us for 3 or 4 hours. Seeing as I was the only non-Japanese around Koji came and spent a lot of time with me when he should have been talking to everybody. I felt privileged to be getting first hand riding advice from a pro and like a big kid I was thrilled to be riding with him.
I last saw Koji at the Japan Cup 2008 before he announced his retirement in Ichinomiya and I sensed the end may have been near to his career as his answer to my question: ‘Why aren’t you out there riding today?’, as his OLDER brother Shinichi was leading the 3 man break away. His reply was, ‘I’m getting too old.’.
He then pulled out his harmonica which sits in his back pocket 24/7 and entertained a little 3 year old girl who had come to get his autograph.
We are actually both a lot more good looking than this poor photo shows but here we are together at the Japan Cup.
It was only last week at the Tokyo Enduro that I saw Koji’s team champion Olympian Yukiya Arashiro high five me as I crossed the finish line and think to myself, ‘Where is Koji?’.
Well, Koji. Congratulations on your fine career record and your decision to quit must have been a hard one that had to come some day.
salut!
Palmares
2007
4th overall – Tour de Siam
1st Stage 2 – Tour de Siam
2006
2nd Stage 1 – Tour de Siam
3rd Stage 2 – Tour de Siam
4th Stage 2 – Tour of Japan
1st overall – Boucles de la Mayenne
5th Stage 2 – Boucles de la Mayenne
3rd Stage 4 – Tour d’Indonesia
2005
1st Stage 1 – Tour de Siam
2nd Stage 2 – Tour de Siam
17th overall- Tour de Langkawi
1st Stage 3 Tour de Langkawi
2nd overall Circuit de Lorraine Professionnels
2rd Stage 1 Circuit de Lorraine Professionnels
4th Trophée des Grimpeurs
13th Japanese road championships
5th Trofeo Internazionale Bastianelli