Special Thanks / Photo By Kenji Muto a.k.a @muto_photo
It reminds me of a very hot day.
With a wheel bag in one hand and a large messenger bag on my back, I clutched my ticket for Kameoka Station and felt fired up for the "impending showdown." By the time I’d been swayed on the train for a few hours, my mind was already completely filled with thoughts of sfiDARE CRIT.
Full of fighting spirit, I brought along some homemade candied lemons so I wouldn't disgrace myself at the battleground. According to the recipe, it called for honey, but since I couldn't find any in the fridge, I decided "this will do!" and, in my pre-race intensity, poured plenty of sweetened condensed milk over them before closing the lid.
Anyway, I’ll leave the details of that "Uno-chan recipe" aside. The fourth annual race in Kameoka, Kyoto, was just as sweat-dripping, blood-pumping, and intense as ever—so please, take a look at how it all went down!
Amidst the complaints from racers and spectators alike about the heat, a pleasant sound began to ring out. That’s right, just like always, the DJs who always rush to the sfiDARE CRIT venue had arrived.
Wearing a straw hat, glasses, and sporting a curled mustache, his name is Kenji Nishio (a.k.a. Gi-Ken). The head DJ, Mr. Yashiro, was sitting on the sidelines taking a little break.
So, Gi-Ken stepped up to support the head DJ, ready to send the racers off with a musical tailwind under the scorching sun.
And believe it or not (lol), Gi-Ken is actually a proud father, too.
Gi-Ken’s daughter, who will make an appearance mid-post, is—happily—obsessed with the sfiDARE CRIT races. She’s arrived fully prepared for this event, so please stay tuned for her introduction! (Yay!)
Qualifiers: Where There’s Sweat, There’s Blood
Viewer discretion advised (sweat).
Everyone takes this race seriously. In my time with sfiDARE CRIT, I’ve had my fair share of painful experiences, too.
But I see those as lessons that help me improve, so I get back out there and race again.
And this is Ryo Yokoyama, who looks a bit worse for wear. I got to talk to Yokoyama-kun face-to-face for the first time before the qualifiers.
"Man, this is great! I'm really looking forward to today!" he said, locking eyes with me.
"I've only been riding fixed gear for about two years, but I’m already hooked on sfiDARE."
That sentiment alone is enough to call him a friend and a comrade-in-arms.
I wanted to avoid showing crashes while covering the qualifiers, but looking back at Yokoyama-kun’s positive attitude, I want you all to see it, too.
The course profile for this event was about 800m per lap, with twenty-something riders competing in each qualifying heat.
It wasn't the course we’re usually used to; it featured longer straights and mainly one sharp corner.
During the test runs, riders were verifying the different feel of the course. I even saw some racers quickly changing their gear ratios afterward.
I rode in the first qualifying heat, pushing hard for five laps. The field was packed with powerhouses, but I challenged them without fear.
With the top seven moving on to the final, I sadly placed 8th—a frustrating result. But let's pat ourselves on the back for a good effort and continue looking back at the qualifiers!
The intensity of every single rider was unlike anything I’ve seen before.
It was impressive watching them pedal with full force from the qualifiers on, syncing their breathing with their pedaling.
Also, this year, Korean riders have been actively challenging the "Beat Japan" mentality, and there are moments where you can really feel how far sfiDARE CRIT JAPAN has spread around the world.
While I was saying that, the qualifiers flew by. I’d love to say "a word from our sponsors!", but without getting too off-track, please enjoy the next highlight: the delightful kids of sfiDARE CRIT.
Children Are Our Hope
Giving it your all.
That’s a feeling I never want to forget.
The sfiDARE kids here always step up to the starting line with only the mindset of "let’s enjoy the race."
The sight of children riding the course is so incredibly pure and rings with a wonderful color that can’t be replaced by anything else.
As introduced briefly earlier, Gi-Ken’s daughter, "Mitsuki-chan," makes a heartwarming appearance.
The truth is, maybe it’s my own nervousness or something, but I haven't really had a chance to say more than a hello to Mitsuki-chan (lol).
Even so, I’ve been watching her from afar and just thinking about how much she loves to ride.
"Mitsuki-chan, I’m putting all my heart into this writing, so if you'd like, please take a read."
The way she rides—so happily and comfortably—is truly impressive.
Perhaps Mitsuki-chan simply cannot get enough of sfiDARE CRIT.
She actively participates in practice sessions, learning and absorbing the joy of fixed-gear riding firsthand. I feel like her very presence embodies the proverb, "What one likes, one will do well."
"Mitsuki-chan, let’s talk at next month’s race! Thank you for the smile!"
sfiDARE CRIT "RC" Edition
It seems that all of us have started jumping outside the confines of cycling and begun focusing on "RC" (radio-controlled) cars.
Whether this stemmed from the hobbies of sfiDARE CRIT JAPAN representative Toshifumi Kodama (a.k.a. Tossy) is beside the point...
Before we head to the final, I hope you’ll check out these middle-aged men at play! (lol)
Just recently, we even held a Blockhead Motors pop-up at Circles!
I feel like our boss in Nagoya won't stay quiet if he reads this... (sweat)
But still, it was an event that tickled our inner child, so I definitely hope we can continue holding these at sfiDARE CRIT in the future!!
Fierce Battles in Kameoka
This shot really captures the tension.
Everyone is a rival, and yet a comrade. The race that unfolds in that space can only be born in this location.
The riders must have been itching to go, fully prepared. Please, take a long, hard look at the fierce struggle in Kameoka.
Look at that Blue Lug jersey—it suits him well.
And that’s only natural, as we focus our attention on Masato Ihara (a.k.a. Duncan), who works at the Hatagaya shop in Tokyo.
Uno-chan here is actually a huge fan of Duncan-san.
Both working in the cycling industry, we are the type of friends who only meet at sfiDARE CRIT events, but we always support each other even with few words.
Duncan-san is a rider who races so smartly; there he was, quietly fighting near the top of the group like he was just a part of the air.
When Uno-chan approached Duncan-san and asked, "What’s your gear ratio this time?"
Duncan-san replied in his usual tone, "Maybe 3.06. Might be a bit light," and then headed off to race.
The final race consists of 12 laps with 28 riders.
Immediately after the start, there was a crash that temporarily halted the race.
However, the riders gathered at the start line again and were able to race on safely.
As for Duncan, he transformed into a super-tough sportsman, desperately clinging to the lead pack lap after lap.
Uno-chan couldn't stay quiet either, and ended up cheering loudly the entire time, repeatedly shouting "Duncan!! Duncan!!"
Of course, she didn't neglect to cheer loudly for the other riders as well.
She knows that for athletes, the greatest source of energy is the cheering from the crowd.
And Duncan achieved a fantastic result, finishing 5th overall; it was so moving.
"Congratulations, Duncan! Please be sure to come to the next race in Minoura as well!"
Closing
It has been about five years since I became captivated by sfiDARE CRIT.
Looking back to that time, it’s strange—I had that "this is it!" feeling even though I hadn't experienced it yet, and even now, as I write this down, it still warms my heart.
I truly want to believe that my own drive and my attitude toward facing things will continue to change for the better, never wavering.
If you look at the world, it’s not exactly filled with bright news.
On the other side of the planet, there may be more tragic events that leave people feeling lost.
However, I believe that if you focus on "living in the moment," keep your chin up, and look only forward, a day will surely come when you can smile with a pure heart.
I am still a work in progress myself, and I want to go through my daily life holding onto both the acceptance that good things don't always chain together, and the fierce determination to make things work no matter what.
Finally, I love sfiDARE CRIT JAPAN.
From Uno-chan
