Keirin is a particular form of track cycle racing where competitors follow a pacer bike until shortl
Keirin is a particular form of track cycle racing where competitors follow a pacer bike until shortly before the end when a manic sprint erupts in a bid to secure victory. It’s been part of the Olympics since 2000 but started long before when the first such race took place in Kyushu, Japan, in 1948. Sports fans following this year’s Games will soon get to enjoy keirin events at the wonderfully modern Izu Velodrome 100 km south-west of Tokyo. But not all of Japan’s velodromes are this smart. Take the Kyoto Mukomachi Keirin Velodrome, for instance, which opened in 1950. While the track has of course been well maintained, the rest of the facility is something of a time capsule. With an entry fee of just 50 yen, it still manages to pull in (a few) punters on race days, most of them older guys hoping to win a few yen on one of their carefully selected bets. These older velodromes may lack the glamour of the Games, but they have a special and enduring appeal for those who visit. The roots of keirin are in places like this. -- source link
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