From the sound of it, the initial entry for the Tour de Tohoku was overwhelming. The organizers have taken a lot of criticism to heart and revised their system and schedule accordingly.

The new date to watch for me will be Thursday, June 7, at 1 p.m., with results to be announced on July 2 at 5 p.m.

I’ll by trying for the 100km Oshika Peninsula Challenge Ride Group. It sounds like they’re running the entry for two weeks and then holding a lottery, so there’s not necessarily an advantage to getting in first. Still, I’ve marked my calendar for Thursday at 1 p.m.

As a special bonus, this year all riders and volunteers will receive a Paul Smith-designed Tour de Tohoku bandana (pictured above).