UCI keirin world champion Mina Sato could only finish second in Japan’s big year-ending Girls Grand Prix on Sunday – beaten at the line by the lowest-ranked rider in the race, Hiroko Ishii.
The 38-year-old Ishii – the participant with the most Grand Prix appearances, and winner in 2017 – collects a total of 14.3 million yen (US$ 91,250) and her first ‘special’ win since August 2023.
Sato 3 was unquestionably the rider to beat, bringing a 100% win record from a limited programme of Japanese competition this year. She took up the front position in the line, meaning the inevitable attack could only come from one direction.
The attack came relatively late, entering the home straight as the bell sounded. Ishii 7, the eventual winner followed Kaede Sakaguchi 4 from the back.
The pair dropped in ahead of Sato; and when Aoi Kodama 1 – considered Sato’s main challenger – made her move from fifth, the world champion was suddenly at risk of being boxed in.
Sato pressed into the narrowest of gaps behind Ishii, forcing Kodama high and out of contention, but she still had a lot to do to pass the lead pair.
Ishii timed her pass out of the final corner perfectly, moving past Sakaguchi and resisting Sato’s late charge in the home straight, to take victory by a wheel.
‘I am many times happier than I was in 2017,’ she said afterwards (morecadence.jp, in translation). ‘Previously I had been competing at the front of the pack in Grand Prix races but had not been able to win, so this year I rode a patient race from the back.
‘It felt like a dream. I didn’t feel like I had won when I crossed the finish line. The first thing I thought was that I had been able to live up to the feelings of the people who were cheering me on.
‘I met a lot of people this year, and because of those people, my desire to do my best just grew stronger. Until July, I was out of the running for the Grand Prix in terms of prize money, and there were times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand on this stage, but I think I drew strength from all the different people.’