EF Pro Cycling is proud to announce Hideto Nakane as its newest member. The Japanese rider will join the team in 2021.
“I am very glad and thrilled that I will be riding for this wonderful team,” said Nakane. “I understand that the mission of a WorldTeam is extremely difficult, but I am ready for that. I will do my best to make the best use of my own strengths and contribute to the success of the team.”
Nakane first caught the eye of EF Pro Cycling team CEO Jonathan Vaughters at the Japan Cup in 2019, where he finished an impressive 6th in a star-studded field. “I noticed him when he was climbing in the lead group at the Japan Cup, and I took note,” said Vaughters. “I’m excited to welcome him to our team — I think Nakane will make a great addition to our multicultural crew of riders and staff and bring his own style to the table.”
Hideto grew up in Nagoya, Japan where he played soccer as his main sport. A late comer to the sport of cycling, he didn’t start riding until he was eighteen. “I started cycling after my dad got involved in a continental team,” explains Nakane. Since then, his love for the sport has only grown. “The bike has allowed me to ride around the world on my own two legs and has also given me friends in many countries,” said Hideto.
Having raced for an Italian team in the past, Nakane feels a special bond to Italy. He loves to ride his bike on the Stelvio Pass because of its “magnificence and beautiful scenery” and is looking forward to the Italian classics.
Along with his impressive showing at the Japan Cup and one-day races last year, Nakane comes to us as an accomplished climber and GC rider in week long stage races where he has accumulated a slew of top ten finishes on the UCI Asia Tour. His most recent victory came at the Tour de Langkawi where he took the win on stage 6 in a drag race to the finish line after he broke away from the peloton with 10km to go.
Nakane most recently rode for NIPPO DELKO One Provence, a French UCI ProTeam where he has spent much of his time as a professional rider. “This is all thanks to the experience in the NIPPO DELKO One Provence team in France and Vini Fantini team in Italy,” said Nakane. “I am very grateful for training me in a tough and competitive racing environment in Europe.”
