YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Mountain bikers across the Kanto Plain gearing up to test their skills in the May Tour de Tama now will have to wait until November. This year’s spring running of the biannual race held at the Tama Hills Recreation Area has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, said Joe Heinrichs, Yokota’s Outdoor Recreation manager.
Trying to find an available time that did not interfere with other events at Tama Hills, other Yokota Services events or with the Japanese racing circuit, proved to be too much and led to the race’s cancellation, Heinrich said.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to pull the race,” he said, adding that each year, the race attracts roughly 70 to 125 riders from both the U.S. military and the Japanese racing community, as well as assistance, sponsorship and prize support from local Japanese bike shops and racing clubs.
Heinrich said the fall race will take place Nov. 3 and there are plans to hold May races in the future.
