On August 19th (Sat.) and 20th (Sun.), Shimano Inc. hosted the 38th Shimano Suzuka Road at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. The event featured bicycle races everyone could enjoy, from beginner to advanced. The event aimed to provide more opportunities for younger competitors to chase ambitious goals, such as by adding races for middle-school students and above, and awarding individual leader’s jerseys to the Stage Personal Best Prize for under-18 competitors in the 5 Stage Suzuka, a stage race.
Over the same period, Virtual Shimano Suzuka Road was held again this year, enabling remote participation in the event from anywhere. Furthermore, live YouTube coverage was expanded to cover all of races held over the two days. The 38th Shimano Suzuka Road Race Classic was also held. This year’s race was the fourth JCF-certified race, and enabled spectators to experience high-level, fierce competition close up. Collaborating company booths garnered praise, and created opportunities for sports bike fans to learn about new products.
In addition to thorough heat stroke countermeasures, the event featured a broad range of initiatives in support of safe racing, including training sessions for beginners, video streaming, and technical support.
The event welcomed 7,900 participants over two days, and the lively venue was filled with the smiling faces of people enjoying sports cycling.
For many years, Shimano has been organizing events like this, planned by its employees, to offer opportunities not only for competition, but for a wide range of users to enjoy cycling and learn about the appeal of bicycles. Going forward, we will strive to create events that enhance everyone’s enjoyment even further.