Japanese champion joins GreenEDGE

Reigning Japanese road race and time trial champion, Fumiyuki Beppu, will form part of GreenEDGE Cycling when it makes its racing debut in 2012.

In 2009 Beppu, along with countryman Yukiya Arashiro, became the first Japanese rider to finish the Tour de France. But his ambitions in the sport’s biggest event don’t end there.

“I want to win a stage of the Tour de France,” says Beppu, who also finished this year’s Giro d’Italia, one of the most gruelling grand tours in recent history, in sixty-seventh place.

The 28-year-old has ridden for some of the world’s leading teams having turned professional in 2005 with the Discovery Channel team before joining Skil-Shimano for two seasons from 2008 and has been part of RadioShack for the last two years.

With this experience he is accustomed to riding alongside some of the biggest names in the sport and one of the most renowned management teams and sees this continuing at GreenEDGE.

“I am looking forward to riding with the superb riders and staff that have been recruited to the team, who are all highly motivated and have a clear vision,” Beppu said.

“This very impressive team structure will put me in the best position to just concentrate on races, and to build my career.

“I’m honoured to be part of this team, which has been 20 years in the making by the best in Australian cycling. I can’t wait for next season. I am hoping for a wonderful season with GreenEDGE.

Now coming into his prime Beppu says his time at RadioShack has help him develop as a rider and will hold him in good stead for the rest of his career.

“At RadioShack I got to ride the Giro, the Classics, and a lot of World Tour races, which were such great experiences for me. With those experiences behind me I want to go further next season.”