Steady start for OCBC team in Japan

The OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team got off to a solid start in the Tour of Japan, as Cameron Bayly finished 13th in the 2.65-kilometre individual time-trial stage from Sakai.

Bayly was 9.29sec behind stage winner William Clarke from Australia's Drapac Professional Cycling team, who crossed the finishing line in 3:14:09.

Bayly's OCBC teammate Eric Sheppard finished in 33rd place with a time of 3:28:16, while Thomas Rabou finished in 42nd place with 3:29:53.

The team's local rider, Low Ji Wen, clocked 3:31:59 to take 61st place while the team's remaining riders Jang Chanjae (3:29:00) and Ronald Yeung (3:38:05) came in 36th and 79th respectively. The Tour of Japan resumes tomorrow, with the second stage beginning at Mino, and will cover 160.7km - the longest stage in the entire race.

It will consist of more than seven loops around a 21.3km circuit 
course. - Redzwan Kamarudin