NewsInformation

Hikaru Gozu, a member of the mountain bike (MTB) team "Dream Seeker Jr. Racing Team (DSRJ)" operated by JPF Co., Ltd., Ltd. (main office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shuntaro Watanabe), won the JOC Junior Olympic Cup/National Youth Selection MTB Competition held in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture on August 1st.

DSRJ is an MTB team comprised of graduates from the "Top Cyclist Academy," a project for developing elementary and junior high school cyclists that our company implemented from 2021 to 2023 as part of our cycling promotion activities. The program targets the generation before they move on to the UCI (Union Cyclsite Internationale) junior category (17-18 years old), and focuses on developing them with an eye towards future success. This victory demonstrates the results of that effort.

The player profiles and victory comments are as follows:

Player name	furigana	class	prefectures	Year of birth
Teru Gozu	Gouzu Hikaru	Boys' Youth U17	Tokyo	2010

■Comments from Gozu
It was a race consisting of four laps of a 3km course. I made a slight mistake at the start, but I stayed with the leading group until the third lap, gradually increasing my pace. I increased my pace even more on the final lap, widening the gap with the runners behind me, and I was confident of victory on the final straight. I was so happy to finish in first place.

Starting next year, I will be competing in the junior category. My goal is to win National Championships and the Asian Championships and become a world-class athlete.

■JPF's vision for athlete development pathways
Our company supports the "Athlete Development Pathway" concept advocated by Japan Cycling Federation and is committed to promoting cycling.

The JPF's vision for an athlete development pathway is to provide consistent support, starting with "riding a bicycle" and "playing with bicycles," and progressing to enjoying cycling as a sport, honing skills and competitive abilities, and ultimately challenging oneself in competitions and on the world stage. We also believe that experiencing off-road disciplines such as MTB and BMX in early childhood helps cultivate fundamental motor skills such as balance, core strength, and coordination, which will serve as a foundation for success in various cycling competitions in the future.

At Keirin-jyo under our management of Koei Kyogi venue contract, we hold workshops on removing training wheels, sports bike experience events, and Keirin-jyo riding classes, as well as operating pump Track and BMX race courses. Through these activities, we are creating an environment where children can discover bicycles, have fun, and gradually improve their skills, and we are working to nurture future leaders in Cycing sports.

For details on JPF's vision for athlete development pathways, please see the Factbook below.

https://www.jpf.co.jp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JPF_factbook_2026.pdf

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