Special Thanks / Photo By Kenji Muto a.k.a @nofilterkenji
About seven years have passed since I first discovered the existence of sfiDARE CRIT.
Even now, it fills me with such emotion to be able to stand on this same stage as an individual and as a rider, with my heart and mind completely unchanged.
In the week leading up to a race, I never fail to perform the essential maintenance on my bike. I work in the Circles pit space, carefully and slowly adjusting the handlebar angle, seat height, and fine-tuning the feel of the pedals, enjoying the process as if I were cooking a meal.
The bikes we use for these races have no derailleurs; we use only "a single gear," adjusting the "gear ratio" to suit the conditions of the day before heading out onto the course.
In any case, as the title suggests, I hope to continue searching for "the reasons why we race in sfiDARE CRIT."
As always, I will be writing this sfiDARE CRIT series in my own free-spirited way, but I hope to make it something you can follow along with, if only just a little.
What is the atmosphere of sfiDARE CRIT?
The racing is dead serious.
Everyone is looking forward to the race.
It is a measure of the progress we have made ourselves, and it is the only moment when riders can truly clash with one another.
After the final bike check, the riders head out for a practice run on the course. The battle begins right there, as the riders meticulously check every detail of the course themselves.
Even during the practice runs, some riders show off by popping a wheelie.
I’m sure they are using that moment to express their joy at being able to participate in sfiDARE CRIT.
Yet, I believe that even in those moments, they are actually seriously preparing for the race itself.
Others can be seen warming up on their rollers.
After that, they head onto the course to check the road surface, fine-tune their tire pressure, and experiment with braking, acceleration, entry angles, and overtaking points just before hitting the corners.
The Beauty and Strength of Racing
They have such wonderful expressions.
Beautiful and kind.
And once they start riding, their strength stands out even more.
As I have spent time in this bicycle industry, the more I keep pace with it, the more I feel that bicycles are quiet and beautiful, and that you can catch glimpses of a person's individual strength through them.
Thanks to being able to witness all of these scenes, I am learning to be kinder to others and, at times, the importance of patience in my own daily life.
Can you hear the breathing of the riders, everyone?
They are riding with more sincerity and intensity than ever before.
Even now, as I look closely at the photos taken by Kenji-kun,
I feel a shiver down my spine.
The scenes of sfiDARE CRIT come back to life through these photos, and I am filled with joy to be able to look back at them.
sfiDARE CRIT "Announcement from this season"
From the 2026 series, there was an announcement regarding a review of the men's categories.
The category has now been split into two: the "Champion Class" and the "Challenge Class."
Regarding the category structure, the Challenge Class is open to anyone who is experienced or has attended a training session.
As for the Champion Class, it is limited to the top 40 riders in the 2025 series cumulative point rankings.
I am fortunate enough to be able to race in the Champion Class, so I intend to go all out and take on every single race without holding anything back.
My goal for this season is to finish the series injury-free, while keeping in mind to improve my overall standing as much as possible.
Also, it seems that sfiDARE CRIT has been gaining more attention from international riders over the past few years.
The field is clearly expanding both domestically and internationally, and it is very fresh and gratifying to see everyone meeting face-to-face in Japan.
Perhaps the greatest expectation is that it will become even more grand and reach the eyes of many more people.
Join the Kids Race
I often remember my childhood.
Going somewhere to play on the weekend.
That was, without a doubt, an adventure in itself.
The sound of the wind, the smell of the air that was different from usual, changing into my jersey.
And riding my bike together with other kids of my age I’d never seen before.
Everything felt fresh, and I can sense that same feeling etched in the eyes of the kids today.
If you become interested in the kids race through this sfiDARE CRIT series, please do come and visit us.
In Closing
I managed to finish the race safely.
(Results aside, haha)
My mind is certainly a bit clouded.
I wasn't able to achieve the results I had hoped for.
I will cherish the next few weeks to ensure I can make a full recovery and perform better at the next race, the INDYKART CRITERIUM 2026 in Chiba Prefecture.
(It will be held on Saturday, May 30th, at AEON MALL Kashiwa, Chiba.)
Though it may be a simple expression, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in supporting sfiDARE CRIT JAPAN.
I look forward to the continued success of sfiDARE CRIT JAPAN, now and forever.
I will keep working hard every day to continue pushing forward and achieve results.
So, finally, I love sfiDARE CRIT.
From, Uno-chan
