Former world keirin champion Matthijs Büchli says he has given up his attempt to transition from track specialist to road rider, with DerbyWheel looking like his most likely destination after an extended holiday with his family.

The 31-year-old won the keirin at the 2019 world championships in Pruszków, Poland; and was part of the Netherlands squad which won team sprint gold at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as multiple world and European championships.

Since Tokyo, he had attempted to switch to road racing, riding for BEAT Cycling Club. He also featured in the endurance side of the UCI Track Champions League, finishing a very respectable 6th overall in 2022.

He told Wielerflits this week that the challenge had proven too difficult. ‘I now know that I will never reach the desired level,’ he said (in Dutch), ‘and the novelty of this adventure is now also finished.’

Büchli, who has competed in Japanese keirin, as well as running a coaching business named Keirincoaching.com, said he plans to take some time away from cycling, spending time with partner Laurine van Riessen and their young son Zen, born late last year.

But after that? ‘The biggest chance is that I will do something with the keirin again, but then in the gambling circuit,’ he tells Wielerflits. ‘There is a Korean gambling organisation that wants to do something with keirin in Europe, so maybe it will get off the ground next year.’ Maybe, indeed.

Thanks to our friends over at Track Piste for spotting this.