Kyoto Keirin: The colourful world of Japanese track racing

Laura from the Peloton Brief lays her bets at the velodrome in Kyoto and goes behind the scenes for the money shot

Keirin Kyoto Racing Track racing

Gentlemen, to your positions

The crowd is sparse. Online betting has all but killed off live spectating

Track entry is roughly 35p

Checking the odds

“We were about 20 years younger than anyone else there,” says Laura

Riders are led by a human pacer, unlike the motorised European version

Even with padding removed, the racers resemble rugby players more than road cyclists

Please remove your footwear

A little pre-race balance practice…

…and some limbering-up

Roller routine

Bikes are pleasingly low-tech. Steel frames and spoked wheels are compulsory

Final ‘adjustments’

And they’re off

No luck this time… Discarded betting slips

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Keirin Kyoto Racing Track racing

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