Ryota Nishizono

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Ryota Nishizono

| image = TdB_2015_-_Ryota_Nishizono.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Nishizono at the 2015 Tour de Bretagne

| fullname = {{ubl|Ryota Nishizono|{{langx|ja|西薗良太}}}}

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|9|1}}

| birth_place = Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.70}}

| weight = {{convert|62|kg|lb st|abbr=on}}

| currentteam = Retired

| discipline = Road

| role = Rider

| ridertype =

| majorwins = One-day races and Classics

:National Time Trial Championships
(2012, 2016, 2017)

| medaltemplates =

| show-medals =

| amateuryears1 =

| amateurteam1 =

| amateurteam2 =

| amateuryears2 =

| proyears1 = 2011

| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|SMN|2011}}

| proyears2 = 2012

| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|BGT|2012}}

| proyears3 = 2013

| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|Champion System|2013}}

| proyears4 = 2015–2017

| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|BGT|2015}}

}}

{{Nihongo|Ryota Nishizono|西薗良太|Nishizono Ryōta|born 1 September 1987}} is a Japanese former professional racing cyclist.

Career

Born in Kirishima, Kagoshima, Nishizono attended Tokyo University, Japan's most elite university. While there in 2009, he won the Inter-College Championships.{{cite web|last=Hideaki|first=Takagi|title=Nishizono Ryōta intabyū|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/?q=node/26964|work=Cyclowired|language=ja}} After graduation, he first joined {{UCI team code|SMN|2011}}, for which he won the first stage of the Tour de Hokkaido in 2011.{{cite web|script-title=ja:シマノ西薗良太、畑中勇介がワン・ツー！|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/?q=node/68296|work=Cyclowired|access-date=26 May 2013|language=ja}} He moved to {{UCI team code|BGT|2012}} in 2012{{cite web|last=Ayano|first=Makoto|title=メンバー大刷新のブリヂストン・アンカー|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/?q=node/74398|work=Cyclowired|access-date=26 May 2013}} and won the men's time trial at the Japanese National Road Race Championships.{{cite web|last=Tsuji|first=Kei|title=全日本TTチャンピオンの西薗良太がチャンピオンシステムと契約|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/?q=node/96424|work=Cyclowired|access-date=26 May 2013}} For the 2013 season, he signed with UCI Professional Continental team {{UCI team code|Champion System|2013}}.

In December 2013, Nishizono announced his retirement as a professional cyclist.{{cite web|script-title=ja:西薗良太が引退を発表|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/?q=node/124097|work=Cyclowired|access-date=31 December 2013|language=ja}} He came out of retirement to join {{UCI team code|BGT|2015}} for the 2015 season.{{cite web|title=西薗良太が現役復帰|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/news/node/155188|website=Cyclowired|access-date=17 March 2015|language=ja}} In 2016 he regained his national time trial title.{{cite web|title=西薗良太念願のタイトル奪還與那嶺恵理圧倒の連覇|url=http://www.cyclowired.jp/news/node/202802|website=Cyclowired|access-date=24 June 2016|language=ja-JP|date=24 June 2016}} In 2017 he announced to retire again by the end of season.{{cite web |url=https://cyclist.sanspo.com/365013 |script-title=ja:西薗良太が2度目の引退を発表 30歳を区切りに「家族との時間を大切にしたい」 |language=ja |date=18 October 2017 |publisher=sanspo.com |access-date=24 May 2018}}