Former BMX racer Yusaku Kosho 1 won his second Keirin Grand Prix, and with it a prize of 140 million yen – almost US$ 900,000 – in Japan’s traditional end-of-year highlight event.

The 33-year-old was brought to the front by 2020 world silver medallist Yuta Wakimoto 9 as the bell began to ring. As they entered the home straight, the fading Wakimoto moved aside, leaving the door open for Kosho to claim the biggest prize in the sport, repeating his success at the same Shizuoka track three years earlier.

Having followed the pair’s initial attack, Hirotomo Shimizu 6 was on Kosho’s wheel as the line neared, but couldn’t get around him: he wins over 28 million yen (US$ 183,000) for his efforts. Wakimoto held on for third, and a consolation prize of over 17 million yen (US$ 112,000).

It closes another remarkable season for Kosho, who had finished top of the annual prize money ranking, having won two G1 titles – August’s All Star Keirin, and October’s Prince Tomohito Cup. He has won at least two G1 events each year since 2021.

His 243 million yen (US$ 1.54 million) winnings in 2024 before the Grand Prix put him more than 100 million yen ahead of second-ranked Wakimoto.

More Cadence calculates that the Grand Prix prize takes his total for the year to more than 383 million yen (US$ 2.4 million), smashing the record of 305.84 million yen set by Wakimoto in 2022.

UCI world champion Kento Yamasaki 5 rode in the day’s penultimate race, for the Daikichi Terauchi Memorial Cup.

Riding in the ‘senko’ or leadout role, he positioned himself at the front of the line, and attacked with a full two laps remaining. But he ran out of legs with 200m to go, eventually trailing in a distant ninth, with Souma Ito 2 taking the win.