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If you happen to tune in to the Olympic cycling in the coming days and see a rider on what appears to be a motorised food delivery bike, don’t be alarmed – it is a Derny bike, and you are watching the Keirin cycling event. Taking place over six laps of the 250m Velodrome, the Derny paces the riders for three laps before peeling off the track, leaving the cyclists to sprint the final three laps of the race. Originally developed in Japan in the 1940s solely for gambling purposes, Keirin became an official event at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney for men and introduced in 2012 for women. Team GB have subsequently enjoyed huge success in the format, winning five of the possible nine golds available.
