Taiji Nishitani (西谷泰治, Nishitani Taiji, born 1 February 1981, in Hiroshima Prefecture) is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist who competed professionally between 2006 and 2014, entirely for the Aisan Racing Team. He was the winner of the Japanese National Road Race Championships in 2009. He retired at the end of the 2014 season, and now works as a directeur sportif for the Aisan Racing Team.[3]

Taiji Nishitani
Personal information
Full nameTaiji Nishitani
Born (1981-02-01) February 1, 1981 (age 43)
Japan
Team information
Current teamAisan Racing Team
Discipline
  • Road
  • Track
Role
Amateur team
2003–2005Aisan
Professional team
2006–2014Aisan Racing Team
Managerial team
2015–Aisan Racing Team[1][2]
Major wins
Tour de Hokkaido (2006)
National Road Race Championships (2009)

He joined Aisan Racing Team soon after graduating from Nihon University and had success on the UCI Asia Tour. He was the third Japanese to win a stage at the HC classified Tour de Langkawi.[4] In addition to road races, Nishitani also represented Japan in international track cycling competitions, riding in such events as the scratch race, Madison, and omnium.

Major results

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2003
Tour de Hokkaido
1st Prologue & Stage 2
2004
Tour de Hokkaido
1st Prologue, Stages 2 & 3
2006
1st Overall Tour de Hokkaido
1st Stage 3
2007
Tour of South China Sea
1st Stages 6 & 8
1st Stage 2 Tour de Hokkaido
2008
1st Stage 3 Tour de East Java
1st Stage 6 Tour de Hokkaido
2009
1st   Road race, National Road Championships
1st Stage 6 Jelajah Malaysia
1st Stage 3b Tour de Singkarak
2010
1st Stage 4 Tour de Langkawi
1st Prologue Tour de Hokkaido
2011
1st Stage 8 Tour de Taiwan
1st Stage 3 Tour de Kumano
2012
1st Stage 6 Tour of Japan
1st Stage 4 Tour of China I
2013
Tour of Japan
1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 6
7th Overall Tour de Korea
8th Overall Tour de East Java
1st   Points classification
9th Japan Cup
2014
1st Stage 6 Tour of Thailand

References

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  1. ^ "Miyazawa Takashi, Nishitani Taiji, Shimizu Miyataka, Mori Kazuhiro: Nihon no toppu rēsā ga intai o hyōmei". Cyclowired. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  2. ^ "8名で戦うアジアツアー 愛三工業がこだわる日本人選手によるUCIポイント獲得". Cyclowired (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Aisan Racing Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Nishitani wins at Langkawi, Erler keeps lead". Velo News. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
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