The men’s road cycling race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is expected to cover a 270-km route starting in the Tokyo suburbs of Chofu, going past Lake Yamanaka and the foot of Mounbt Fuji, and finishing at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture, a source said Tuesday.
According to the proposed route, the starting line will be near the Musashino Forest Sport Centre and competitors will race along National Route 413 before going around the lake, Fuji Speedway and the base of Japan’s highest peak before returning to the race circuit.
“For the athletes, it will be tough, with a lot of difference in elevation, but it is a wonderful course with Mount Fuji in the background,” the source said.
The women’s course will start and finish in the same places, but the distance will cover about 140 km, leaving out the part around the foothills of Mount Fuji, the source said.
The International Cycling Union has basically approved these routes, but some parts — including the area in Tokyo and near Fuji Speedway — may change slightly before they are finalized around next March.
If approved, Yamanashi Prefecture will join eight other prefectures in helping Tokyo host the 2020 Games.