World's richest cycling race puts keirin in spotlight before Olympics
27 December 2019 12:00
The winner of this weekend’s Keirin Grand Prix in Japan will take home nearly $1m but why has Olympic success been elusive for the 2020 Olympic hosts in the event it invented?Thousands of people armed with betting slips will pack into an ageing velodrome on the outskirts of Tokyo this weekend to watch nine cyclists compete for the title of Japan’s keirin champion.The Keirin Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Japanese sporting calendar – and one of the richest. The first man over the line after six laps of the Tachikawa track will end the day a little under $1m (£768,000) better off, and secure a place in the history of an event that grew out of the ruins of war more than seven decades ago. Now, as Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Olympics, the best of Japan’s 2,200 keirin cyclists are aiming to bring international success to the country that gave the event to the rest of the world. Continue readingread full article
