Tokyo 2016 Hosts Cycling Race

[Guest Truly Asia]

Five-time Tour de France champion, Bernard Hinault expressed his gratitude to the city of Tokyo after enjoying a special ride at the cycling criterium race held at the city’s centre yesterday.

Tour de France Champion in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1985, and also former World Champion in 1980, Bernard Hinault, visited Tokyo as a special guest at this year's Meiji Jingu Gaien Cycling Criterium hosted by the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation and sponsored by several bodies including the Japan Cycling Federation and TOKYO 2016 Olympic Games Bid Committee, Japan's Bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"I think it would be a great thing if the Olympics were held in Tokyo in 2016. It would be great if Tokyo were selected but there is fierce competition among the bidding cities," Mr Hinault told the crowd after the conclusion of the day’s races, including the open competition and the Masters ride in which he took part.

Held for the first time in 2007, this criterium race was the first of its kind to take place in the very centre of Tokyo. An area known for its lush greenery, gardens and spacious parkland in the heart of the city, Jingu, set the stage for the race. Falling within an area designated in TOKYO 2016’s unique plan for the Olympics as the “Yoyogi cluster,” the area is home to the iconic 1964 Olympic stadium and other venues. Crucial to the area’s convenience and popularity, world-famous spots such as Omotesando and Harajuku are just a short walk away, demonstrating how the many facets of people’s daily lives can often be integrated in Tokyo. TOKYO 2016 believes such sporting events as yesterday’s and ultimately the hosting of the Games at the heart of life will ensure that future generations will enjoy a rich sporting, social, environmental and economic legacy.