Lozano closes the 2026 season at a punishing Japan Cup

18 October 2026

David Lozano and Team Novo Nordisk wrapped up their 2026 campaign in Utsunomiya at the Japan Cup, the UCI ProSeries one-day race that has become a fixture of the team’s calendar. As ever, it was a brutally demanding way to finish the season.

The race covers 14 laps of the Kogashi circuit, whose repeated climbs wear riders down long before the finish. A large group rolled out early in the day, but with the strongest riders still sitting in the main bunch, the team expected the race to blow apart sooner or later. Lozano had no doubt about it.

“Like every year, the race was super hard!” said Lozano. “A big group rolled out, but the big guys were still in the main group, so we knew that at some point the race would just explode.”

That moment came with seven laps to go, when the favourites lifted the pace. Lozano managed to latch onto the surge, but the effort took its toll a lap later.

“With seven laps to go they opened the gas and I managed to follow them, but on the next lap I just blew up. The pace was crazy!” he said. “After that I found a group to work with, and we made it to the finish safely.”

For Lozano, the Japan Cup is as much about the occasion as the racing. The roadside crowds in Utsunomiya are among the most enthusiastic of the season, and the Novo Nordisk affiliates from Japan were again out in force supporting the team.

“It’s always a pleasure to finish the season here, with these amazing crowds and the NN affiliates doing a great job with us,” he said. “Every year I think it will be my last one, but you never get tired of this. Japan rocks!”

With the Japan Cup done, the 2026 season comes to a close for the team. Thanks go to the fans, partners and Novo Nordisk colleagues in Japan for another warm welcome.