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Im Chae-bin wins on his own to retain Korean GP crown
Im Chae-bin looked like he was in a race of his own, as he powered to a decisive victory in Korea’s year-end Grand Prix final race. The 33-year-old rider from Daegu opened up a huge gap with an attack into the final lap of the showcase race at Gwangmyeong Speedom, said to be the world’s…
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World champ Sato comes up short in Girls Grand Prix
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…
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Japanese TV commercial hints at a global future for keirin
A new TV commercial from the organisers of Japanese keirin will use footage of UCI racing to position keirin as a unique global sport. The 60-second ad is set to air across Japan from December 31, the day after the sport’s annual showpiece; but is already available on YouTube. It features a young woman sitting…
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How much will riders win in this year’s Japanese keirin Grand Prix races?
Next week is Japan’s big end-of-year Keirin Grand Prix Series, held this year at Shiuzuoka. Saturday 28th December is the Young Grand Prix, featuring male riders who made their debut less than three years ago. Sunday 29th is the Girls Grand Prix for women. Then on Monday 30th, it’s the big one, the men’s Grand…
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DerbyWheel drew me out of retirement, says British sprint champion
British elite sprint champion Pete Mitchell has credited the prospect of a viable professional career with DerbyWheel for inspiring his return from competitive retirement – and ultimately, his greatest ever solo success. As a sprint tandem pilot, Mitchell won multiple world championships and a silver at the Rio Paralympics. But he lost that role after…
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No immediate plans to change London’s new safety glass after TCL crash
Management at the London velodrome has committed to ‘explore what else can be done to improve safety’ following the crash which halted Saturday evening’s Track Champions League finale. Entering the final lap of a first-round keirin race, Alessa-Catriona Pröpster and Katy Marchant appeared to lock handlebars. Unable to separate or steer, the pair left the…
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UCI will not attempt to complete Track Champions League programme
A statement on the UCI Track Champions League website confirms what we all probably expected: there will be no attempt to complete the remaining races from Saturday night’s programme. Racing at London’s Lee Valley velodrome was halted following the crash which saw Katy Marchant and Alessa-Catriona Pröpster leave the track, over the top of the…
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Japanese keirin unveils first uniform update in over 20 years
The iconic coloured uniforms worn by Japan’s (male) keirin professionals are to receive their first design refresh since April 2002.
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What if Track Champions League had only been a keirin competition?
Just to satisfy our curiosity, we collated a ranking of UCI Track Champions League points, based only on the keirin races. Would it tell us anything different about the competition, or the riders?
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Keirin crash brings Track Champions League finale to a shocking end
A horrendous crash involving Katy Marchant and Alessa-Catriona Pröpster brought the final night of UCI Track Champions League action to an abrupt halt. Entering the final lap of heat two of the women’s keirin first round, the two riders appeared to lock up with each other. Their combined momentum carried the pair up the track,…
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Lavreysen ruins Richo’s home debut, as Lysenko stumbles in sprint
There was disappointment for the characteristically noisy London crowd on night four of the UCI Track Champions League, with home favourites Emma Finucane and Matthew Richardson both missing out in the keirin finals.
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Another Japanese sporting spectacle coming to the UK in 2025
While we wait for news about DerbyWheel’s proposed keirin series, another Japanese sport has announced plans to bring its stars to the UK during 2025. London’s Royal Albert Hall will host a sumo basho next October, with over 40 elite wrestlers competing over five days. It will be the Japan Sumo Association’s first official overseas…
