A further update to the DerbyWheel website points to a start date for the competition in 2026, with weekly racing some time in 2027.

Plans for an exhibition event before the end of 2025 were becoming unrealistic as time marched on. But the update became inevitable following the apologetic message from DerbyWheel president DJ Hyun, published earlier this week.

He told riders and stakeholders that final preparations would be completed ‘early next year’, with ‘a revised launch plan … soon after.’

The exhibition event is now listed as being at a date ‘TBA’, but still planned for the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport.

Regular racing in the competition is to begin some time ‘in 2026’, initially every other week, but moving to a weekly schedule ‘from 2027’.

The return of active communication from the DerbyWheel team is very welcome. The fact that the calendar is being maintained is probably a source of mild optimism. If nothing else, it shows the initiative remains alive, and the avoidance of fixed dates shows that valuable lessons have been learned from past experience.