- >
- Nanavi News
- >
- Nagano Blue Ocean Ride mini2021″ Event Report
Nagano Blue Ocean Ride mini2021″ Event Report
-
Last updated:
Mar 22, 2021
-
About the writer:
Nagato Tourism Convention Association
50 km ride starting from a roadside station
On March 21 (Sun), 60 cyclists participated in the " Nagato Blue Ocean Ride mini2021," a cycling event covering approximately 50 km between Nagato City and Hagi City.
This event is a short version of the Nagato Blue Ocean Ride (aka Nagato BOR), a cycling event held every November. This will be the second "mini" event following the 2019 event, which headed toward Shimonoseki, but will be the first to be held on a route around Hagi City.
At 9:00 a.m., group meetings begin at the starting point, Senza Kitchen, a roadside station. Each group leader will share the day's course and schedule.
This time, we were divided into eight groups and started off with the leader in the lead.
Also participating in this competition as a guest was Shunsuke Miyamoto from the Yamaguchi Branch of the Japan Bicycle Racing Association, who also served as a group leader.
Miyamoto, a native of Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, made his debut in July 2018, and since January 2020, he has been a member of the "S Class 1 Group," the second highest class, the S Class S Group.
From Sea to Mountain with "Zuikaze
The course this time is about 50 km.
Starting from Senza Kitchen, a roadside station, the participants proceeded eastward along the national highway, passing by the Misumi River, where cherry blossoms had begun to bloom. Although the ride was in the midst of light rain, the participants felt the arrival of spring at various places.
The 231-meter-high "Chain Pass," which connects Nagato City and Hagi City, is the most difficult climb in the event. Even those who gritted their teeth as they pedaled up the hill were all smiles as the summit came into view.
From "Tamae Station" in Hagi City, the turnaround point, we took Prefectural Route 64 along the sea that connects the two cities. The expected blue sea was hazy and white, but it was still very impressive. Some participants stopped to take pictures of the sea and their bicycles.
From the Ii district, which straddles the two cities, the participants headed uphill for the last time, with occasional views of the sea. The participants once again returned to the Misumi district, which they had passed through this morning.
Just before 1:00 p.m., the luxury sleeper train "TWILIGHT EXPRESS Zuikaze" stopped at Nagato Misumi Station, which was also an aid point. We enjoyed these precious moments, taking out our cameras for unexpected shutterbug opportunities and waving loudly when the train arrived and departed.
The "Zuikaze," which ran between Nagato City and Hagi City three times during this rally, could be seen at various points along the course, and some participants laughed as they were able to take good pictures with the cherry blossoms and the sea. Cheerful voices spread around the station, as if the rain could be forgotten.
Three aids to taste the region
Speaking of BOR, it is also a great place to taste gourmet foods and sweets unique to the area.
At the first aid station, the Sogashira Cultural Center in the Misumi district (12 km point), muffins from NaNaya Farm, a cafe near Ohama Beach in Aburaya, were served. Hot coffee from Coffee & Roaster Yama, which roasts its own coffee in Tawarayama, will be served along with the muffins.
The deep roasted bitter coffee and the gently sweet muffin are a perfect match. It is a combination that will refresh you for the climb up the Chain Pass that begins here.
The second aid station was Mimi Station (32km point) in Hagi City. Here, the Senzaki-based "Tuk Tuk Cafe" served hot beef tenderloin curry. The curry is carefully served one dish at a time and handed to the driver from a bright light blue "Tuk Tuk," a three-wheeled vehicle.
Before noon, it was time for an early lunch. The ride was now in its final stages, and the participants were enjoying the curry while reminiscing about the roads they had traveled so far and talking with each other.
Returning again to the Misumi area, the last aid station is Nagato Misumi Station (45 km point). Here you can taste puff cakes from Toraya Confectionery, a long-established Japanese confectionery with a store in Senzaki, and coffee from YAMA, which was also popular at the first aid station.
First, participants warmed their rain-cold bodies with hot coffee, followed by puff cakes with rich custard cream wrapped in fluffy dough. The sweetness that went well with the deep-roasted coffee gave them the strength to run the last 5 km.
Spring Cycling from Nagato City
This time, the ride was held in the rain, but the temperature is gradually rising and spring weather is beginning to be felt, and it is now the season for enjoying casual cycling.
The "Tourist Information Center YUKUTE" at Senza Kitchen, the starting point for this event, is the only "bike station" in the city that offers five types of rental bicycles as well as cycling maps and cycle computers for rent.
We hope that many people will enjoy cycling as an activity to spend time in Nagato City.
