BSBC x Stratos Vol.3: Championship on the Line!
Sfidare Crit is Japan’s only fixed-gear criterium, organized by Kodama-san, a former keirin racer. First held in 2017, Sfidare will enter its 10th year next year, and what started as a single race every year has grown into a multiple-race series with a championship title on the line.
The final round of the series was held on September 26th on a special course built inside the Minoura factory in Gifu. And since I wanted to give you some updates on the BSBC x Stratos project, I joined the Black Sox Bicycle Club team (BSBC) as they headed into this final showdown.
Of course, I was there to photograph them, but this time, there were a few extra reasons why I really didn’t want to miss it.
For one, the Stratos team bikes that Paul has featured twice before had finally made their way to every member of the team, bringing the whole fleet together for the first time. You can catch up on Paul’s previous posts about the bikes here:
➡️ [BSBC x Startos]
It was also the debut of their new team kit, and perhaps most importantly, Yuki (that you can see here on the rollers) was heading into the season finale with his first-ever chance to reach the Sfidare series finals.
I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, so I brought my new partner in crime, a Nikon F5, along with a 50mm F1.4 and a Sigma 16mm F2.8 fisheye. For the film, I packed four rolls of Kodak Portra 400 and some Vibe Max 800. I also brought my good old Nikon S4 as a backup.
The Final Race for the Series Championship
Seventeen selected riders lined up for the Elite class. Starting this year, the entry requirements had become stricter, meaning only riders with strong results could make the cut. Thankfully, all of the BSBC riders made it through qualifying and into the final.
The final turned into a dramatic race run in seriously difficult conditions. Rain had fallen during qualifying before easing off ahead of the start, allowing parts of the course to begin drying. By the time the race got underway, though, the rain had returned.
One of the defining features of this course is the combination of outdoor sections and an indoor section running through the factory. Outside, the clean tarmac offered plenty of grip. Inside the factory, however, wet tires on the floor made it feel more like an ice skating rink. The already technical course had become an even more dangerous place from the weather and also the tension that could be felt in each and every racer.
Early in the race, a breakaway group formed around points leader Takuma, along with our four BSBC riders, plus another one from the Sfidare Crit Team.
On lap three, Yuki moved into the lead, and as someone who had seen him racing a couple of times already, I could tell he was in incredible form that day. If he could take the win on that race, he would overtake Takuma on points and become the series champion.
Hayato was sitting in second. His job was to hold Takuma back and create a gap for Yuki to work with. The plan was working, and Yuki gradually started to pull away from the riders behind him.
But Takuma wasn’t going to let that happen so easily. Riding with serious momentum, he reclaimed second and began chasing down Yuki.
Then, on lap nine, we didn’t see Yuki come back around… He had gone down in the infamous factory section, and Hayato was caught up in the crash as well.
The factory section is narrow, with almost only one usable racing line. Turns out that after a few laps, that line was also wet, making an already slippery surface even more treacherous.
Yuki somehow managed to get back on course in fourth but crashed again on the following lap, and his position suddenly dropped to near the back of the field. Takuma took full advantage of the opportunity, moved into the lead, and crossed the line first to take the win.
Teppei finished second after putting together a consistently strong ride throughout the race. Hayato recovered from his crash and fought his way back into third with a determined overtake. Finally, Yuki kept pushing until the very end but finished fifth. He almost missed out on the series championship, bringing the 2026 season to a close.
What Makes Sfidare Crit Special
One of the things I love about Sfidare Crit is the variety of backgrounds represented on the start line.
Former keirin racers, messengers, fixed-gear street riders, road racers, and cyclocross riders all come from different corners of cycling to line up together and race on the same course.
Everyone has their own style and culture, but here they share the same simple reasons for being there: They love bikes, and they love racing.
I really appreciate the atmosphere that comes from having all these different kinds of riders in the same place.
Sfidare Crit’s contribution to the Japanese cycling scene also shouldn’t be overlooked. As you may already know, in Japan, riding a brakeless bike on public roads is prohibited. Sfidare Crit worked with the police to completely close a public road and make Japan’s first brakeless fixed-gear race possible.
The years of work that went into making that happen, and the trust they have built with everyone involved, are also a huge part of what makes this event special, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what next season brings.
As far as I know, Sfidare Crit is one of the few fixed-gear criterium series in the world to run as a multi-race championship. If you’re reading this from overseas, I’d love to see more riders come over and take part. (You’ll find pretty much every information you need on their official Instagram.) Hopefully, it can also lead to more connections with the criterium scene in Europe, which has been growing rapidly in recent years. And beyond that, I hope more companies, both in Japan and overseas, discover this seriously passionate and intense race scene and eventually get involved.
Meet the New BSBC
Finally, I want to introduce a few of the BSBC riders wearing their new team kit.
Hayato
First up is Hayato, last season’s champion and a Monster Track winner. I asked him to model the new team kit for its debut photos.
The tie-dye pattern on the right sleeve is the signature of the new kit. Unlike the previous all-black version, there’s no way you’ll lose sight of these guys at a night race.
The names of the companies supporting the team run along the left sleeve. If you’re a company interested in supporting BSBC, get in touch!
Yuki, Shotaro, and Teppei
All three are top-level riders who consistently finish near the front of the field. Yuki may have almost missed out on the series championship this time; he’s already looking ahead to next season. And to make the 27-season even spicier, he’s considering racing not only in Japan but also at European criteriums such as Zuri Crit and RadRace. After coming so close this year, I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings next season.
I’ll be taking a closer look at their new bikes in BSBC × Stratos Vol.4
See you at the next Sfidare Crit!
📸: @ray_aka_m3lo
✍️ @ray_aka_m3lo
🎞: Kodak Portra 400 / Vibe Max 800
📷: Nikon S4 / Nikon F5
📍: Gifu
