Welcome in Japan! The legendary Mount Fuji awaits the best Asian climbers in the first ever Asian Championships road race without riders from Oceania taking a part. And we don't really have a nice weather today...
The biggest favourites are Shikai, Ji and Choi, but many more riders like Nepomnyachsniy, Kozhatayev, Iino or Destribois will surely try their luck to get a medal out of this race.
No real break of the day happened in the first part of the race, but the major news are that Ji and Jang crashed and have huge problems to get back into the peloton!
But in the end both of them are able to get back.
With 110 km to go, it is Boonratanathanakorn, Sembukutti, Albourdainy, Yang, Galedo and Seo who are finally able to get away from the peloton.
They are able to create a maximum of 4 minutes advantage over the peloton, as Sembukutti, Albourdainy later attack from other escapees.
With 50 km to go right at the time when the final journey up to Mount Fuji starts we have a massive fall in the peloton, more than 40 riders involved and more riders waiting for their leaders! Major riders involved are: Alizadeh Gilanipoor Nepomnyachsniy Kozhatayev Wang Hiratsuka Ahmad Zamri Mat Senan
This is an absolute disaster for all Kazakhstan, Iran and Malaysia.
Meanwhile we have just 15 riders in the group of favourites chasing the last two remaining riders in breakaway who are Sembukutti, Albourdainy as they still have 4 minutes advantage with 45 km to go!
The riders in the group of favourites are: Shikai Ji Ikibe Galedo Ruchira Pathoumphanh Jang Esmaeli Shirota Destribois Choi Boonratanathanakorn Iino Silimanivong Sisira Nakane Yeung Kinoshita
This is a major opportunity for China, Sri Lanka and especially Laos as the peloton of 52 riders is almost 3 minutes back!
And almost immediately it is Choi who attacks! Ji is immediately pacing his team mate Shikai trying to bridge the gap, but he is not successful to do so. And it looks like other riders are not able to keep up. And also you can see the peloton well behind this group, where all other favourites are putting in a furious pace trying to come back into the front!
We can see the situation here with 40 km to go: Sembukutti and Albourdainy are still leading. Choi is 2 minutes behind them Ji and Shikai are further minute behind Choi
Group of 9 including majority of the group from where Choi attacked is another minute behind
And another minute behind is 'the peloton' with 20 riders and including all remaining favourites with the exception of Kozhatayev and Ahmad Zamri who are clearly injured and are further few minutes behind.
At the top of the climb Choi is still half a minute behind the breakaway. 50 seconds behind him goes Shikai now alone as Ji gave him everything he had in his tank.
Two minutes behind Shikai, Sisira is able to catch tired Ji.
And further two minutes behind, we have a group of Iino, Nepomnyachsniy and Gilanipoor, as Suryadi tries to hang in there behind them. A few meters behind are Destribois and a group including four Japanese riders or Mat Senan.
Now we have only downhill before us...
With 25 km to go Sembukutti now rides away from Albourdainy using his great downhill skills, with both Choi and Shikai still trying to catch up with him.
15 km to go: Sembukutti now has almost a minute on Choi who was at least finally able to catch Albourdainy as Shikai is another minute behind!
Sisira is another minute behind Shikai now comfortably ahead of Ji.
With only last 5 km remaining Sembukutti still has one minute on Choi!
And Sanju Dimantha Sembukutti wins! What a surprise and what a day for this young talent from Sri Lanka!
Choi finishes only 2nd. He probably expected to finish only 2nd today, but surely not behind a rider from Sri Lanka!
And the bronze medal gets the other successful escapee, it is a massive achievment for Qatar and especially Ahmed Albourdainy! Shikai was closing in, but in the end it is only a 4th place for him today, surely a massive disappointment.
An amazing day for Sri Lankan cycling underlines Sisira with 5th place.
Ji and Iino finish 6th and 7th.
Nakane, Gilanipoor and Nepomnyachsniy round up top 10.
The winner of the day - Sanju Dimantha Sembukutti.
Shikai, 
Choi, but many more riders like 
Nepomnyachsniy, 
Iino or 
Destribois will surely try their luck to get a medal out of this race.
Jang crashed and have huge problems to get back into the peloton!
Boonratanathanakorn, 
Sembukutti, 
Albourdainy, 
Galedo and 
Alizadeh
Wang
Ahmad Zamri
Suryadi tries to hang in there behind them. A few meters behind are 
