Already a hope of Japan

Mr. Kasahara participated in the Tour of Thailand 2010, which took place in Thailand in April, as a member of the Japanese national team. This professional tour comprises a total of 6 provinces over 6 days. It has flat terrain as well as mountainous terrain with severe inclines. The cyclists need to cycle up to 200 km a day in hot, humid weather. It is a gruelling race.

Mr. Kasahara is a promising rookie in the Chuo University Cycling Club. At the same time, he is already a hope of Japan.

He earned a gold medal in the youth division of the road race of the national athletes meet in the fall of 2009. He also earned a bronze medal at the men's junior cycling championship in Asia in August 2009. With these glorious results, he entered Chuo University. It has been 2 months since he began his dormitory life at Chuo University in March. Cheerfully, he said that life in the cycling club is "a lot of fun. The seniors are very kind."

Cycle for 60 to 80 km in the morning

Mr. Kasahara cycles 6 days a week, except for Mondays. He practices from 5:00 am to 8:00 am along with his teammates. After cycling 60 km to 80 km up to Oume or Miyagase, the day begins. After classes, he does intervals alone on a mountainous road with long slopes.

He began cycling on a road bike when he was 15 years old. His brother, three years older than him, was already cycling. Influenced by his older brother, Mr. Kasahara started to participate in cycling events organized by a local cycle shop. "The event was full of middle-aged men," Mr. Kasahara said, smiling. In those days, the young boy Kasahara gradually developed his skills. "Bicycling was a lot of fun," Mr. Kasahara said.

He entered Edogawa Gakuen Toride high school, which is not very far from his parents' home in Chiba. However, the school did not have a cycling club. So he asked a nearby high school to join their practice and also trained by himself, aiming at participation in the inter-high school championship because it was difficult to continue that lifestyle.

Transferring high schools became a turning point.

It was not easy to manage both cycling and study. "The school required me to study hard, but cycling practice limited my time to study. It became difficult for me to focus on both cycling and study," Mr. Kasahara said. In the fall of his second year, he told his parents that he wanted to transfer to another school.

The school transfer became a turning point in his cycling life. At Komatsubara high school in Saitama, where there was a cycling club, he was able to focus on cycling as much as he wanted.

He decided to go to Chuo University because of his older brother. His older brother belongs to the cycling club of Meiji University, but he suggested Mr. Kasahara go to Chuo University because the cycling team has a good atmosphere. Based on his brother's recommendation, Mr. Kasahara went to see the Chuo coach to pitch himself. Mr. Kasahara's goal during his 4 years at university is to be the winner of an inter-college championship and a world championship. He has set his sights high.

(Student Reporter: Kanako Ishikawa; 3rd year student in the Faculty of Law)