TEAMS
SPA
SPARKLE OITA RACING TEAM
CT
SPARKLE OITA RACING TEAM
From Kyushu to the World Stage – And in Pursuit of a Long-Awaited Home Victory!
SPARKLE OITA RACING TEAM, a community-based team founded in Oita in 2021, became a UCI Continental team in 2023 and continues their efforts to put Kyushu on the world map.
Originally sprinter-focused, the team now includes all-rounders to expand its opportunities.
Their general classification ace is Keisuke Aso, skilled in survival races.
Sprint victories rely on tightly coordinated small groups, supported by veterans Kota Sumiyoshi and Taku Takemura.
Criteriums and sprint stages are the team’s strength.
Since Keitaro Sawada, the ace sprinter, joined the Japan Keirin Training School in May, sprint strategy now centers on team founders Sakuya and Shiki Kuroeda.
Every year in Kyushu races, they excite the crowd with special jerseys; attention is on this year’s design.
Mynavi Tour de Kyushu is the most important race for the team.
