Two Japanese stars are set to light up the Tasmanian Christmas carnival Series.
Japanese team Team Rakuten K Dreams have sent two absolute stars of cycling to the series and although some of the Tasmanian tracks may be a little challenging and the style of racing unfamiliar, this kind of class will add some spectacle to this year’s Carnivals.
The Madison in Launceston will be particularly interesting to see, should they race as a pair, though they won’t have it all their own way. The quality of the women’s field is top level this year and a win will be hard fought. The women’s field will include multiple world champions past and present, as well as many National title holders, and Olympians.
The Japanese pair will ride the Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie Carnivals as well as the Ulverstone Criterium and the Gilmore Classic Criterium in Launceston.
Tsuyaka Uchino is a member of the Japanese national cycling team. A versatile and adaptable endurance rider with next level race intelligence, Uchino has won 9 Gold Medals at the Asia Games in the Omnium, Points Race, Madison, Elimination, and Teams Pursuit over the past three years.
On top of her 9 gold at the Asian Championships, she also won Gold in the Points Race at the Junior World Championships in 2019 and bronze in the points race at the World Championships last year behind super-star Lotte Kopecky and our own Georgia Baker, plus two Gold at the Asia Games.
Teammate Mizuki Ikeda is also world class with a string of medals at all levels and the same kind of versatility as Uchino. Ikeda rides as a professional racer on the dangerous, highly organised and brutally aggressive Japanese Keirin Circuit that attracts huge crowds, promotes betting and often results in spectacular crashes.
Their class and versatility will make them huge threats in almost every event at the Carnivals, though home ground knowledge will give the local women and Carnival regulars some advantage.
The team along with a highly credentialed Mens team will be riding the Gilmore Classic criterium in Launceston on Boxing Day before heading south to Hobart on December 27th for the Bikes and Spikes then back to Launceston Cycling Carnival on the 28th, Devonport on the 29th and Burnie on the 31st with a likely appearance also at the Ulverstone Criterium on the 30th.
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