Japan’s cyclocross scene has been growing rapidly, but most of its racing is constrained to the Kansai region of western Japan, an area that includes Osaka and Kyoto. But this past Sunday, Tokyo, considered by some to be the world’s largest city, held a new March cyclocross race in the Hachioji area. The course was a short, 1.1k loop near the banks of a river.
While such a late winter race date is a rarity here in the states (long live Cult Cross), the March scheduling wasn’t the only neat aspect of the event. Another creative element was the race’s use of numbered helmet covers (similar to those used in Japanese Keirin racing) that conveniently kept the riders warm while leaving all sponsor logos on the jersey visible. We’ve got two videos of Sunday’s racing below:
Race highlights:
[vimeo 20742850 400 325]
One rider’s (stressful) preparation and race on his classic Ritchey Swiss Cross:
[vimeo 20705531 400 325]
