Six WorldTour teams confirmed for 2016 Japan Cup
Fabian Cancellara to ride Japan Cup Criterium before hanging up his wheels
The organisers of the end-of-season Japan Cup have announced the initial list of teams and riders for the 2016 race with Fabian Cancellara to bring down the curtain on his career in Utsunomiya. The Swiss rider will ride the Criterium only for Trek-Segafredo who are one six WorldTour teams alongside Cannondale-Drapac, Team Sky, BMC Racing, Lampre-Merida and Orica-BikeExchange.
Defending champion Bauke Mollema will return to the race with Trek-Segafredo who are also fielding Fumiyuki Beppu, Eugenio Alafaci, Gregory Rast and Jasper Stuyven. Mollema won the race ahead of Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida) in 2015 although the Italian isn't returning for this year's race. However Lampre-Merida will be bringing fan favourite Yukiya Arashiro to the race who recently completed the Vuelta a Espana.
Another returning team for the 25th edition of the race is Orica-GreenEdge who will have 2016 Paris-Roubaix winner Mat Hayman on show for the crowds. The race is also likely to be a farewell for Canadian Christian Meier who is retiring at the end of this season.
The race organisers also revealed BMC's Taylor Phinney as a starter for the race after the American was unable to race the 2015 edition of the event. The squads of Team Sky and Cannondale-Drapac are to be announced in the coming weeks.
Joining the WorldTour teams for the race are two Pro-Continental outfits, NIPPO Vini Fantini and Novo Nordisk, and six Continental teams. Rounding out the start list is a national Japan team and a composite squad that will feature Dimension Data duo Theo Bos and Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Provisional starters for the 2016 Japan Cup (October 23, 2016)
Trek Segafredo
Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)*
Fumiyuki Beppu (Japan)
Bauke Mollema (Netherlands)
Grégory Rast (Switzerland)
Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)
Eugenio Alafaci (Italy)
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Lampre-Merida
Yukiya Arashiro (Japan)
Matteo Bono (Italy)
Mattia Cattaneo (Italy)
Manuele Mori (Italy)
Simone Petilli (Italy)
Orica-BikeExchange
Mathew Hayman (Australia)
Christopher Juul Jensen (Denmark)
Jack Haig (Australia)
Christian Meier (Canada)
Nicholas Schultz (Australia)
BMC Racing Team
Taylor Phinney (USA)
Manuel Quinziato (Italy)
Amaël Moinard (France)
Joey Rosskopf (USA)
Taylor Eisenhart (USA)
UCI Professional Continental teams
NIPPO Vini Fantini
Damiano Cunego (Italy)
Grega Bole (Slovenia)
Iuri Filosi (Italy)
Giacomo Berlato (Italy)
Kazushige Kuboki (Japan)
Novo Nordisk
Stephen Clancy (Ireland)
David Lozano Riba (Spain)
Javier Megías Leal (Spain)
Charles Planet (France)
Martijn Verschoor (Netherlands)
UCI Continental teams
Attaque Team Gusto
Team UKYO
Kinan Cycling Team
Bridgestone Anchor
Utsunomiya Blitzen
Matrix Powertag
Composite team
Theo Bos (Netherlands, Dimension Data)
Edvard Boasso down Hagen (Norway, Dimension Data)
Hikari Kosaka (Utsunomiya Blitzen Cyclocross)
Kazunari Watanabe
Kaneko SaiwaiHisashi
*Criterium only