-
Cynical response to UCI confirmation of international stars’ return to Japanese keirin
The UCI’s confirmation of an agreement to resume international riders’ participation in Japanese keirin has been received a lukewarm response from the track cycling community. Deep iIn a press release issued following the meeting of its Management Committee at the end of January, the UCI stated: The UCI Management Committee was informed of the conclusion…
-
JKA data reveals average earnings of Japanese keirin professionals
The average Japanese keirin professional earned prize money of almost US$ 100,000 in calendar year 2025, according to data published by the Japanese Keirin Association. The JKA had 2,400 registered professional riders as of year-end 2025: 2,188 men and 212 women. The published averages include earnings for riders who retired during the year. The nine…
-
Gunji solos to his first Grand Prix success
Kohei Gunji claimed his first Keirin Grand Prix title at the sixth time of asking, and with it the year’s biggest cash prize, with a bold solo ride in Tuesday’s showpiece event at Hiratsuka. It was the 35-year-old’s first major success since a G1 win in February 2024: he was one of the riders to…
-
Lorena Wiebes takes Dutch keirin title (but rules out a switch to sprinting)
Dutch star Lorena Wiebes added an unexpected extra title to her remarkable 2025 palmarès, taking the Netherlands national keirin title. Wiebes has won world titles on the track in scratch and omnium this year, as well as the world gravel championship, and the points jersey in two Grand Tours. But in Apeldoorn for Sunday’s national…
-
Sato’s stellar streak continues with win in Girls Grand Prix
Women’s keirin world champion Mina Sato capped a near-perfect 2025 with a decisive victory in Monday’s Girls Grand Prix event at Hiratsuka. Racing in her home region of Kanagawa, the 27-year-old entered the race as the overwhelming favourite, having won all of 2025’s G1 events: the remaining participants were therefore based on prize money ranking…
-
Chae-bin claims a third successive Korean Grand Prix
Korean superstar Im Chae-bin made it a hat-trick of wins in Korean keirin’s biggest annual race, with victory at the Gwangmyeong Speedom on Monday. As in Japan, Korean keirin holds a year-end Grand Prix race between the year’s top performers, with bumper prize money on offer – although not on the same scale as the…
-
Malaysia’s Ridwan dedicates SEA Games gold to absent brother Shah Firdaus
Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom took gold in the men’s keirin on the first day of a curious two-day race schedule at the South East Asian Games. The 24 year old beat the Thai pair of Jai Angsuthasawit and Norasetthada Bunma on the outdoor track at Hua Mak, Bangkok. You can see the race in full here…
-
Sato completes historic ‘calendar slam’ with win in chaotic G1 final
Fresh from retaining her women’s world championship title in Santiago, Mina Sato made history on Friday with yet another victory in top-flight Japanese keirin. Her triumph in the final of the Keirin Festival Women’s Championship, held at the 400m indoor track at Kokura, meant she took all four G1 titles in 2025 – becoming the…
-
DerbyWheel calendar update pushes start date back to 2026
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,…
-
‘DerbyWheel will be implemented’: new launch plan promised for 2026
Series could also include races on a 400m indoor track in Asia
-
Sato retains rainbow jersey with keirin triumph in Chile
Mina Sato rode a perfect patient race from the back of the line, to win the women’s world keirin title for the second successive year in Santiago. Drawn in position five, the Japanese superstar was clearly on other riders’ minds as the derny left the track. The pace dropped suddenly, as other riders turned to…
-
Hetty chases historic fourth gold at women’s keirin worlds
Hetty van de Wouw has already made history this week: breaking her own world record for the kilometre time trial twice on Saturday, to win her third gold medal at the UCI’s world championships in Santiago. On Sunday, she has the opportunity to go beyond that: no woman has ever won gold in all four…
