I’m back home at last, but no less hopelessly backlogged than I was, thanks to a long delay in getting out of Chicago and the fact that as soon as I got off work today, I had tickets to Hamilton (which is an interesting topic in itself, albeit one for another time).  Brevity is thus still the order of the day, even for an old pal like Yowamushi Pedal, but hopefully I can get myself caught up by next week (when it’ll be time for the season check-in post, sigh).

• “But your fans are all guys.”  That was a bit of a LOL-worthy moment, because that seems to be a kind of an in-joke in Yowapeda fan circles – I’ve heard that said about Naruko many times.  That line might even have been an intentional nod to the audience.
• Armstrong reference is interesting – guess he still holds a place of reverence in Japanese cycling circles despite his fall from grace.  Of course if fans stopped idolizing every cyclist caught for doping (so long, Andy and Frank) that would pretty much end cycling fandom.
• I have no idea if that toe thing actually makes sense in cycling terms, but it was an unusual visual if nothing else.
• This whole question of who the ace is really is the elephant in the room for this whole Inter-high arc.  It’s generally a really bad idea for any team not to have that clearly decided before the race begins, even if it’s unfair and doesn’t reward the best rider (as Alberto Contador and Chris Froome could tell you as they were being instructed to support Lance Armstrong and Bradley Wiggins, respectively).  Yet it’s never been clear who that guy is for Sohoku – and it still isn’t.  Some light is made of Naruko and Imaizumi arguing over the ace role in this episode, but it’s a deadly serious question.
• I think we all know Onoda is the real ace, but no one seems to want to admit it (including him).
• This is all the more proof to me that Teshima is an indifferent captain at best.
• The “Niku!” guy is actually even creepier than Izumida (or Midousuji, for that matter).
• You always knew Chimera-kun was going to make his huge presence felt sooner or later.  Playing possum at all the intermediate checkpoints was certainly a good strategy, and truthfully the KyoFushi riders ought to have more in the tank than either HakoGaku or Sohoku.  I wouldn’t bet against him leaving both of them shell-shocked at the end of the first day.

Omake: