The KEIRIN Grand Prix, which decides the annual champion of Keirin, was held in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Yuta Wakimoto, who represented the Tokyo Olympics last year, won the championship for the first time.
The KEIRIN Grand Prix is a race where a total of 9 people, including the winner of the G1 race and the top players in the prize money ranking, participate in the race to determine the annual champion of the bicycle race, and this year was held at the Hiratsuka Velodrome in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The race was held with 7 laps on the 400m bank, and Wakimoto, who finished 7th in the men's keirin at the Tokyo Olympics, attacked from behind in the remaining 2 laps and took the lead in the final half lap.
At the end, Wakimoto, who was able to close the gap but managed to escape, won his first victory in his fourth Grand Prix appearance.
Yusaku Furuse, who won the tournament last year, finished second, and Kohei Gunji finished third.
Wakimoto looked back, saying, ``The point was whether I could go without hesitation without feeling like I was crazy, but I was able to calmly attack.''
A portion of the proceeds from the race will be donated to the NHK Public Welfare and Cultural Organization for welfare activities.