December 18th, 2007 by 
thien
by Stephanie Gutowski
With the formal dissolution of the Discovery Channel team this month, we caught up with the talented 24 year old Japanese cyclist, Fumiyuki Beppu, to preview 2008 and look back on his three years riding as a member of Discovery Channel.
Beppu will begin 2008 on a new team riding primarily in Europe. “I have a one-year contract with Skil Shimano,” stated Beppu. “I am looking forward to riding a full European calendar in 2008. On Skil Shimano I can ride more Classics and Pro Tour races. I think this is a smart move for me. On Skil Shimano I can take on a leadership role.”
Beppu is very much looking towards the future. “I would love to ride in a Grand Tour, he said, “I know that will come in the future. My main goals next year are to ride in Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Nice and Flanders.”
One of the few Asian riders based in Europe, Beppu has lived in France and competed in the amateur ranks with the VC La Pomme team prior to joining Discovery Channel. “I go to Mallorca in January (for training camp). I’ll be home in Japan until then. After the Spring Classics I’ll head back to my European home…Marseille.”
Beppu began cycling in 1990, participating in his first mountain bike event at the very young age of nine before winning his first road event three years later. He joined the La Pomme team in 2003, finishing 14th in the Espoir Paris-Roubaix and 20th in the Espoir World Championships. In 2004, Beppu won the opening stage of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta in Italy, taking the win from his four Italian breakaway companions. He also won the mountains competition at the Ronde de l’Isard d’Ariege stage race in France. In 2006 he became the Japanese National Road and Time Trial Champion. 2007 saw him get very close to a stage win. He was second in stage three of the Tour de Romandie.
Copyright Stephanie Gutowski
The biggest change Beppu has experienced while on Discovery Channel has been his mental game. “I have really developed a mental toughness that is necessary to survive in the peloton,” he stated. “This is my biggest improvement. Being a professional cyclist is difficult.” Beppu also commented about the challenges of pacing during a race, “In a professional race the pacing is very different than an amateur race. An amateur race’s pacing is hard from start to finish but in a professional race you may start fast…..slow down in the middle….then the last 30k is very, very fast. It’s extremely important to know this pacing and be ready. I am learning to pace myself better in a race.”
Beppu commented how grateful he was to have been given the opportunity to ride on a professional team at such a young age, “I have learned a lot….about the professional cycling culture….about riding in a professional peloton…about supporting my team mates,” Beppu said. “I feel I am still learning about riding in the peloton. The talent on Discovery was amazing. Learning from these talented riders, like Armstrong and Eki, was great.”
“I loved riding in all of the races with Discovery. Each race had special moments that I can remember and enjoy. I have been able to ride in some big races…like Paris Roubaix. I had a good experience this year in the Tour of Romandie…finishing 2nd in a stage. Riding in the Classics was fun. It was fun riding in support of my team in Paris-Roubaix. Paris-Roubaix is my favorite race. The race is very technical and dangerous. I really enjoy it. Paris-Roubaix is full of history and that is one reason why I love cycling. I love the history of cycling.”
Beppu continues to be a huge star in his homeland. He writes a number of magazine cycling columns, has had a documentary aired on Japanese television, and is currently on the cover of Japan’s Bicycle Club magazine. “The fans in Japan have been great. They give me so much support. They send me encouraging words.” He has an extremely popular website - http://www.fumy.jp/ - which currently is only available in Japanese. Beppu keeps his fans updated with his personal blog.
Though he is looking forward to riding with Skil Shimano Beppu reminisced about his time with Discovery Channel. “I learned about racing and riding techniques from them….as well as training,” stated Beppu. “I was given the opportunity to ride and learn with the team. This was very important to me.”
