'A massive bucket list item' – Six star riders to compete in Japanese keirin series this summer

Six of the best track cyclists in the world will travel to Japan this summer to take part in a keirin racing series.

Britons Matthew Richardson and Joe Truman will join the sprint event’s Olympic and world champion Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), as well as a trio of female riders: Olympic champion Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand), Olympic silver medallist Hetty van de Wouw (Netherlands), and the former sprint world champion Mathilde Gros (France).

The participation of international riders comes as part of a rebooted agreement between the UCI and the Japan Keirin Autorace Foundation (JKA). The last cohort that took part in the series was in 2019, before the Covid pandemic put a halt to the programme.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Richardson, the Olympic keirin silver medallist, said he was first approached by the JKA at the UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile last October.

“I’d been wanting to do this for a very long time,” he said. “This has been a massive bucket list item for me, something that I knew if the time came, and if I got invited, I would 100% say yes.

“You start track cycling and, especially as a sprinter, you get to a level where you start to understand the history of the sport, but also the history of the keirin and where it originates from. That's when you're first introduced to this betting sport in Japan”

Keirin racing emerged in the Asian country in the late 1940s as a post-war gambling sport. It joined the Olympics in 2000, and, in UCI competitions, involves six riders motor-paced by a derny for three laps, before sprinting against each other for three laps.

Traditional Japanese keirin typically takes place on larger, outdoor velodromes made of concrete, meaning the event is part sprint, part endurance. There is standardised equipment for the riders, who use steel bikes with smaller gears and wear multicoloured jerseys and helmets.

Truman, a GB team-mate of Richardson’s, has raced the series twice, and was part of the last international cohort that went to Japan in 2019.

“I learnt how to be a lot more independent,” the recently crowned kilometre time trial European champion said.

“I went last time when I was 20, and I was straight off the plane from the Commonwealth Games. I went from being in a big bubble with physios and everything, straight to a little town in Japan, on my own for six months.”

One of things that most fascinated Truman was the “completely different vibe” around the racing. “Because obviously betting is a massive part, when we go to a race, we’ve got essentially four days where we’re in lockdown and we’re not allowed any devices that transmit information to the outside world,” he explained.

“It’s just books and old iPods and things like that, but it also gives you a good chance to learn Japanese and chat to some other riders... It basically becomes a little digital detox kind of retreat.”

Another difference to UCI racing is that riders have to declare their tactics before each race. They usually do this the night before, Truman explained, and the tactics are announced to fans and punters.

“For international riders, the most common tactic is senko, where you start your sprint quite early, and you aim to be on the front with a lap to go,” he said.

“I'm just really looking forward to going out to do my first race. It's a really nice experience.”

The 2026 Keirin World Series will take place over nine events in velodromes around Japan between 3 June and 1 September. Alongside the racing, the six international riders will live in Japan for four months, during which time they will study the sport and sit exams.

Sir Chris Hoy famously attended keirin school in 2005, before going on to become a double Olympic champion in the event.

While Truman and Gros have competed in the series before, Richardson, Lavreysen, Andrews and Van de Wouw are all first-timers.

“To me it’s all a mystery,” said Richardson. “It’s almost going to feel like a bit of a travel back in time… I don’t think there’s going to be much that applies to indoor racing other than the sort of length of training that we’ll get from it.

“It’s been a dream of mine for many, many years,” Richardson continued. “Now it’s finally happening, I want to really live in the moment and soak it all in, and try and experience and learn as much as I possibly can – I feel super privileged to be invited.”