Fumiyuki Beppu

Country

Japan

Birthdate

April 10, 1983

Height

180 cm/ 5ft 10in

Weight

67 kg/148 lbs

Resides

Lyons, France

Teams

Discovery Channel (2005-2007), Skil/Shimano (2007-2009); RadioShack (2010)

At a Glance

Fumiyuki Beppu serves as one of the most dominant cycling powers out of Asia. Born in Japan, Beppu joins Team RadioShack in 2010 from the UCI Professional Continental team Skil-Shimano.

Beppu was introduced to the sport in 1990 at only 7 years old. When a family friend mountain biked 20 kilometers to visit his home, Beppu’s father was inspired to embrace the bike as a way to spend time with his own family. Cycling quickly escalated from a family pastime to a serious commitment for Beppu and his eldest brother, Hajime, as they began entering local races.

Evolving to be a promising star out of Japan, Beppy was the U23 National Road Race Cycling Champion in 2003. As a young rider, Beppu enjoyed further success in 2004, finishing 1st in the mountains classification at the Ronde de l'Isard d'Ariege and Stage 1 at Giro della Valle d'Aosta.

His professional career continued when he joined Discovery Channel Pro-Cycling Team in 2005; while on this team his individual highlights included placing 3rd in the Best Young Rider Competition at the Circuit de la Sarthe, and 2nd in Stage 3 of the Tour de Romandie (2007).

In June 2006, Beppu was crowned the Japanese national champion in both the time trial and the road race. The former national champion rode for Discovery Channel until 2007, when he signed with Skil-Shimano through 2009.

Beppu helped lead Skil-Shimano in the 2009 Tour de France, as the team appeared in their first-ever Grand Tour with a wildcard bid. Recognized for his aggressive strategies at Paris-Nice in 2008 and 2009, Beppu finished 112th and won the Combativity Award in the final 21st flat stage from Montereau-Fault-Yonne to Paris Champs-Élysées. Additionally, he also placed 8th in stage 3 and 7th in stage 19.