Yuki Kitai and then the girls! Doping scandal shakes the bicycle racing world, and active athletes complain, “Violators are still out there.

A “metabolic candidate” who has become a powerhouse.

Yuki Kitai (35, Kanagawa), an elite rider in the “S-class S-team,” to which only the top nine riders in the bicycle racing world are allowed to belong, was found to have been doping. This was the first time in history that a member of the “S-class S-team” had been stripped, causing a stir, and a new shock struck the world of bicycle racing.

On March 25, the JKA, the governing body of bicycle racing, announced that Yumika Noguchi (32, Oita), a Girls Keirin rider, had tested positive for banned substances in a doping test conducted during the Omiya F1 event in February.

Kitai’s violation was announced to the general public on February 20, but the bicycle race officials were informed of it as early as early February. JKA took the situation very seriously and conducted a doping test at the race immediately afterward, and Noguchi’s violation was discovered.

One of the girls competing in the Omiya F1 race reported on SNS that she had been tested for doping after the race, but later deleted the post, leading some fans to ask, “Did someone get caught?” The post was later deleted, causing some fans to ask, “Did someone fall for it?

Noguchi’s performance was so poor at the time of his debut that he was considered a candidate for the metabolic syndrome (sacking). However, after moving from Gunma to Oita, his performance improved. Although not in the top class, he has become a consistent player who is involved in the tickets in the general competition. It would be shocking if doping is widespread even among riders at this level. ……” (a sports newspaper reporter in charge of bicycle racing)

After the discovery of Kitai’s doping violation, Yushi Matsuura (34, Hiroshima), winner of the 2023 KEIRIN Grand Prix, wrote in his Net Keirin column,

I think this is an act of trampling on athletes who put their lives on the line, and it is unforgivable. Doping tests are always conducted at every KEIRIN Grand Prix, but I don’t think the current testing system is sufficient to “ensure fairness.

He harshly criticized the current testing system.

Meanwhile, Akinari Nakagama (28, Osaka) replied to a fan’s question on his X (formerly Twitter),

This time it just happens to be Kitai-san.

He also hinted that there were other suspicious players in the tournament.