A Beginner's Guide to KEIRIN
Cyclist performance characteristics and strategies
KEIRIN cyclists form teams called 'lines' to minimize wind resistance and maximize advantages when scrambling and gaining position. Lines are designed to draw on the strong points of each cyclist, so performance characteristics play an important role.
And in addition to performance characteristics, being able to interpret complex elements used in forming lines such as age, temperament and length of experience increases the enjoyment of KEIRIN races.
Performance characteristic: Steady cyclist
High-endurance cyclists who can ride long distances with no loss of speed.
Performance characteristic: Sprinter
Cyclists who can reach top speed in a short amount of time and have the power to make quick sprints.Front-runner cyclists
A strategy of staying in the lead position.
Suppression
A strategy of moving up from the rear to 'suppress' a front-runner cyclist in another line, and breaking out just when a sprint to the finish line is possible.
Domination
A strategy of forcibly taking the lead from the inside by thwarting attempts at suppression from the rear by cyclists in other lines.
Overpowering
A strategy of rapidly increasing speed before the cyclists up ahead in other lines, then suddenly advancing from the rear and leading the race all the way to the finish.
Overtaking cyclists
A strategy of staying in position behind a front-runner cyclist for multiple laps, then overtaking with a sudden sprint on the final straightaway.
Back-checking
Warning opponents. At the start of the race, 'checking' is the visual confirmation done by two cyclists to ensure neither moves ahead of the other. During the race, 'checking' means blocking an opponent attempting to move up from the rear.
One-on-one
Moving up from the rear with a sprint just before the finish line to overtake the lead cyclist and win the race.
Breakaway cyclists
A strategy used in the last moments of a race. The cyclist suddenly increases speed to move up from the rear and overtake the lead cyclist in another line.
Breakaway
A strategy in which the cyclist suddenly moves up from behind to overtake a front runner. An impressive strategy when successful.
