Velo News reported yesterday that the Dutch cycling team Skil-Shimano released Fumiyuki Beppu from the final year of his contract, making him available to join Team RadioShack. In Johan Bruyneel’s blog from a Spanish commuter train today, he confirmed as much.
After Beppu was listed on TRS’ roster when the squad was announced at the end of last year, it soon came to light that he had entered into discussion with Team RadioShack “without permission and without notifying Skil Shimano,” the team noted in a statement issued at the time. Beppu’s status has been in limbo until now. Beppu and Skil-Shimano have now come to agreement, whereby Beppu was released from the final year of his contract (in 2010) after he acknowledged he had violated UCI rules via the initial talks with TRS. With that distraction behind him, Beppu can now make the move to TRS and get on with the 2010 season.
Fumy Beppu is no stranger to Bruyneel, having ridden for the Discovery Channel Team from 2005 to 2007 before moving to Skil-Shimano. Bruyneel commented in his blog that Beppu is a skilled, hard-working rider, and a welcome addition to The Shack. Beppu brings additional diversity to an already very international TRS, and also the elite-class, competitive spirit that characterizes the team.
Beppu was Japan’s U23 national champion in 2003. The next year, while racing in the Ronde de l’Isard d’Ariege, he was crowned King of the Mountain. In 2006, Beppu won his home country’s championship again, this time for both time trial and road racing. He was also one of the first two Japanese riders to compete in the Tour de France last year. During Le Tour 2009, Beppu was named Most Aggressive Rider for Stage 21. Not bad for a first timer!
Beppu lives and trains in France, so he won’t have far to travel to join his new team at the end of this week in Calpe, Spain for the second training camp of the season. Beppu should make a smooth transition to his new team, as he’s already familiar with Bruyneel’s organization and management style. He also knows many of the Shackers who also rode previously for the Discovery Channel Team, including Jani Brajkovic, Jason McCartney, Yaroslav Popovych, Levi Leipheimer, Fuyu Li, Tomas Vaitkus, and others. Yet another weapon added to the arsenal…here comes The Shack!
By Jeff Ludlum, staff writer
