On the final day of racing of 2024, Neilson Powless took off out of a late break and sprinted to his second win in the Japan Cup. He let out a whoop of joy as he crossed the finish line and then fell into a bear hug from our Japanese soigneur, before embracing his wife and daughter.

“I’m really happy,” he said. “This is my second win at the Japan Cup. This time, it was a lot more tactical, because there were five of us coming to the finish line.”

Neilson went on the attack two thirds of the way into the 144-kilometer circuit race around Utsunomiya City Forest Park, joining a strong group of five riders. After his win in Gran Piemonte ten days ago, he knew he was in great form. Fourteen tough laps up and over Mt. Kogashi would work to his advantage. He bided his time, rolling through in the wheels. The final time up the climb, he bet he had the strength to leave the others behind.

“I was pretty confident in my sprint, but in the end it was tricky,” Neilson said. “Quick-Step had two riders. When Vansevenant attacked, I knew it was the perfect moment to use him and jump in his draft. I tried to wait and wait until I closed again and caught him and then really opened my sprint with about 300 metres to go. It was really far out, but I still felt good.”

Neilson sped all the way up the final slopes, putting more and more distance into his rivals, as he accelerated to the finish in Utsunomiya. His victory was decisive. He punched the air, happy to end a hard season on such a high.

He got to share his win with his teammates, who each rolled in to celebrate with him. Lukas Nerurkar finished ninth and joined Neilson on the podium as the NIPPO best young rider.

Neilson’s favorite fans were also in Japan to see his win.

“My wife is here. My daughter is here. It is just so special to do this in front of family,” Neilson said.

Congratulations, Neilson! This was the best way to ride into the off-season. Now it’s time for a holiday!